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Sports Illustrated Already Has Bears Changing Top Pick in 2017 Re-draft

By
Erik Lambert
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chicago bears

Eight games. It has been eight football games into the 2017 season and already top experts think the Chicago Bears would gleefully change their top choice from the NFL draft back in April. They’re basing off seeing Mitch Trubisky play four games. Not only is this staggeringly premature, but the entire thought process behind the decision is laughable.

Again this is after a half season. Normally a re-draft shouldn’t take place at least until after a full one. Better yet two full ones. By that point who was good and who wasn’t in a class becomes much clearer. Not all players progress at the same speed as others. Some shine brightly from the outset. Other take a year or two to figure it out. Still others thrive early on only to fall off in subsequent seasons.

What Sports Illustrated did feels every bit like a knee-jerk reaction. Another sign that patience is a dying virtue in professional football.

Chicago Bears go with a different QB in 2017 re-draft

Conor Orr of the MMQB still had the Bears taking a quarterback. Only this time they go with the hot name in all NFL circles right now. The man who came in with his legacy already nearing completion in Deshaun Watson.

“It’s true that Watson had DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller in Houston, but I cannot imagine Watson not providing a similar spark in Chicago—and something to ignite them offensively and keep their eighth-ranked defense off the field is what the Bears really needed this season. Just picturing an offense with Watson, Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen is fun, no?”

So he believes Watson would have the same profound impact in Chicago he did in Houston? No he wouldn’t. The Bears do not have the weapons the Texans do. They also have a vastly different head coach who has his own ideas about what rookie quarterbacks can and can’t do. Watson would’ve been a completely different player and likely a less effective one.

Then there’s the other tiny matter he’s overlooking. Watson is done for the year. He’s not playing anymore. Orr seems to have sidestepped the fact he tore his ACL. People can criticize Trubisky if they wish, at least he’s still playing and has a chance to keep improving. So the Bears other choice would’ve been Watson who likely would’ve had modest numbers and more interceptions (he had eight prior to injury). Then he would’ve torn his ACL, leaving the team in the hands of Mike Glennon.

Thanks, but no thanks.

Why Blowing Out the Packers May Finally Cure What Ails Bears Fans

By
Erik Lambert
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bears fans

Chicago Bears fans were in a funk by the fall of 2004. Their team had lived with a proverbial chain around its neck for year. That chain was the constant torture administered by the Green Bay Packers. They’d lost seven-straight at that point to their rivals and 18 of their last 20. New head coach Lovie Smith declared his top priority was to beat Green Bay. Not many people believed him. Why should they with over a decade of history saying otherwise?

Things started off routine up at Lambeau Field. Brett Favre staked the Packers out to a quick 3-0 lead. Then something happened. Almost like a switch was flipped. In the second quarter the Bears offense scored a touchdown to make it 7-3. Then the defense made the play of the game, halting a Packers drive five yards from the end zone by forcing a fumble and returning it for a touchdown.

People didn’t know it then, but that play wasn’t just game-changing. It was franchise-changing. Chicago ended up cruising to a 21-10 win. It was their first by double digits since 1993. The Bears would go on to win six of the next nine against Green Bay, make the playoffs twice and reach the Super Bowl.

Chicago Bears fans feeling a sense of deja vu all over again

It’s amazing how the NFL can run in cycles sometimes. Here Bears fans are. It’s almost an exact same scenario. In the past 15 meetings with Green Bay since 2011 they’ve lost 13 of them. Despite still showing support for the team, it feels like the entire fan base has been stuck in a perpetual state of melancholy. They want to give all of their love and support to the team, but they can’t trust them.

That might be because the Bears have looked so inferior at times. Four of the last six defeats at the hands of the Packers were by 16 points or more. Getting constantly blown out by your bitter rival can shake the confidence of even the fanatical fans. By that same token, it may take a blowout the other way for them to snap out of it.

Chicago has not seen the Bears truly crush the Packers in a game for a literal decade. Each of their last four victories were by seven points or fewer. The last true beat down they handed Green Bay was in 2007. It was a windy, frigid day at Soldier Field that saw a frustrated Bears team hammer a disinterested Packers team 35-7.

Suddenly here the team is. The stars are aligned. Aaron Rodgers is out. Green Bay is reeling from a three-game losing streak. The Bears are rested coming out of the bye. If ever there was a time that called for a legitimate thrashing of the Packers, this is it. Can Chicago actually deliver? Well history shows that if they do, it could ignite a sleeping giant that is the Bears fan base.

Zach Miller Received Touching Tribute From Bears Teammates

By
Erik Lambert
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zach miller
Credit: Chicago Bears

There had to be a reason that Chicago Bears tight end Zach Miller has lasted with the team so long. This given his unbelievable streak of bad luck when it comes to injuries. Two weeks ago may have been the worst of his career, completely blowing out his knee while making the most spectacular catch of the 2017 season. The refs can rule it however they want. It was a catch.

Truth be told Miller has constantly received praise for his professionalism and camaraderie towards his teammates. An undeniable leader in the locker room who keeps everybody loose. So to see him suffer so terribly was hard for everybody in the organization to watch. Even members of the New Orleans Saints visited him in the hospital afterward.

It wasn’t over there though. Jordan Howard and Pernell McPhee decided to take it a step further when the Bears reconvened for practice ahead of their grudge match with the Green Bay Packers. Both were seen on the practice field wearing #86. That is of course Miller’s number.

It’s a nice reminder that these men aren’t cogs in a machine. They’re human beings who feel emotions. Seeing a teammate/friend/brother get hurt is never easy. Especially when it was in such a gruesome fashion. Here’s hoping that the incident in the Superdome isn’t the last Chicago has seen of Miller. No doubt the locker room is feeling the same way.

REPORT: Bulls Will Host 2020 NBA All-Star Weekend

By
Aldo Soto
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Chicago Bulls United Center

The Chicago Bulls will reportedly host all the festivities for the 2020 NBA All-Star weekend.

The official announcement will be made on Friday.

The announcement will come at 2 p.m. on Friday.

This will be the first time the Bulls and city of Chicago host the All-Star Game and events since 1988. That was at the old Chicago Stadium, where Michael Jordan won All-Star Game MVP and the Slam Dunk Contest.

Who knows, maybe in 2020, Zach LaVine can bring Bulls fans the same type of excitement, as he’s already won the Slam Dunk Contest twice in his young career.

Chicago first hosted All-Star weekend in 1973.

Even Bears QB Coach Admits It’s Hard to Keep Up with Trubisky

By
Erik Lambert
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bears quarterbacks coach

His title may be quarterbacks coach but Dave Ragone knows what his job is now. It’s personal tutor to Chicago Bears rookie Mitch Trubisky. From this point forward it’s his job to do anything and everything possible in his power to help make the #2 overall pick a success. Around 90% of his time at work is devoted to that endeavor.

So it’s not like there’s a ton on his plate. Keep that in mind when hearing that Ragone, a former quarterback himself, admitted that Trubisky was way ahead of him on a number of things during film study. A rookie with 17 total starts between college and the pros is a quicker study on film than a guy with 13 years of experience.

Ragone explained how during an interview with Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune. He noted Trubisky’s ability to identify parts of plays he could execute better. Plays even Ragone himself didn’t see.

“We’re obviously at the halfway point and we had the bye week to have a chance to look through the cut-ups of the plays that we’ve run. And we had the chance to hit pause a little bit. And there were things (last week) that he mentioned that I hadn’t even been looking at where he’d say, ‘Hey, I can get better at that,’ or ‘Hey, I’ve gotten better at that.’ This was a good reflection point.”

Dave Ragone has front row seat to Mitch Trubisky work ethic

It’s already been touched up how laser-focused Trubisky can be towards his job. He arrived earlier and stays later than everybody. He puts in all the extra time he can to give himself an edge. Progress hasn’t been as fast as many hoped, but it’s been steady. Each week he shows a little bit more poise, a little bit more execution.

With each game he’s gaining experience and the speed is slowing down. As that happens his talent will begin to show even more. Throw the work ethic on top of that? Don’t be surprised if Trubisky really starts to catch fire down the stretch of this season. It was true of Jim McMahon back in 1982. Through his first four games he had five touchdowns and six interceptions. Over the final four he had four touchdowns and one interception.

The Bears merely have to keep doing everything in their power to help him. That is what Ragone is aiming to do.

Cubs GM Jed Hoyer Talks About Trade Rumors And John Lackey?

By
Aldo Soto
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Chicago Cubs GM Jed Hoyer was on 670 The Score Thursday morning and broke some news. He confirmed that Brandon Hyde will be Joe Maddon’s bench coach and that Jim Hickey will be the new Cubs pitching coach. He also got into some of the other offseason fun, trade rumors!

The biggest of which, Hoyer basically called bullshit, which we all basically thought when it first began to spread. Of course, we’re talking about the rumored Jason Heyward trade to the San Francisco Giants. Hoyer was asked about it on The Spiegel And Parkins Show and shot it down.

“Those are just the kind of made-up rumors that happen this time of year,” Hoyer said on the Spiegel and Parkins Show on 670 The Score. “This is not against you for asking me, because it’s news, but it’s just the nature of our job today, that someone throws an idea out on a blog or something like that and all of a sudden people get asked about it and it’s news. There’s no truth to that rumor whatsoever. I don’t know where that stuff comes from.”

On Wednesday, Giants reporter Alex Pavlovic said people with the team in San Francisco also put no credence into the Heyward speculation.

That came after MLB.com columnist and former Chicago Tribune reporter Phil Rogers said the Giants were interested in the Cubs outfielder.

The Heyward trade rumor began in late October, when ESPN 1000’s David Kaplan said the Cubs could be looking into dealing Heyward and speculated the Giants as a possible option. On the same day, White Sox Dave of Barstool Sports, who broke the Jose Quintana trade in July and other deals, tweeted the following.

From every step forward the same has been repeated. It makes sense for the Cubs and makes absolutely no sense for the Giants. So, I’ll go with the Cubs GM on this one.

Hoyer added this about Heyward.

“Jason, I’m really happy for him,” Hoyer said. “He won his second Gold Glove with us. I think he’s going to continue to work hard over the winter, and I think he’s trying to regain sort of where he was offensively a few years ago. But listen, he’s been a great teammate, a great defender. He’s helped us win in a lot of ways. Those rumors, I don’t have any idea where that came from.”

The Cubs GM also talked about John Lackey.

WAIT WHAT?!?!?

So, the other day Jon Heyman reported that Lackey, who appeared to be on his way to retirement, is actually planning to continue his career in 2018. The 39-year-old made 59 starts for the Cubs in the last two seasons and the Cubs do have a couple spots open in ther rotation, but does that mean they want Lackey back?

I hope the extent of that phone call is thanks for the last two seasons and good luck in 2018.

But what if Lackey takes next to nothing and comes back as the fifth starter? That wouldn’t be too bad, right? STOP IT! GET THESE THOUGHTS OUT OF MY HEAD!

Sean Payton May Not Be the Fired Coach the Bears Swipe After All

By
Erik Lambert
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mike mccarthy

The pressing question for the past month is will Chicago Bears head coach John Fox be able to hang onto his job for one more year? Eight games into 2017 and the answer remains elusive. The Bears are 3-5. Their rookie QB isn’t setting the world on fire. Players are still making a lot of sloppy mistakes. Fox is by no means safe. Thus the discussion about Bears head coaching candidates rolls on.

One name that was heavily prominent on that last was Sean Payton. The reasons were obvious. His time in New Orleans appeared to be coming to an end. They were losing too many games and playing awful defense. Now? Everything has changed. The Saints are one of the top teams in the NFC and their defense is a big reason why. Suddenly the belief is Payton isn’t going anywhere.

Thus Chicago may have to look elsewhere for options. As it turns out, in a wild twist of irony, there may end up being another fired coach whom the Bears could scoop up to oversee the Mitch Trubisky development.

Bears head coaching candidates list must include Mike McCarthy

For the past decade few coaches have given Chicago more headaches than Mike McCarthy. He’s run the Green Bay Packers like a well-oiled machine, thanks in large part to his management of their enriched quarterback position. Under his watch the Packers have missed the playoffs just twice in 11 seasons. During that span they’ve won a Super Bowl and played in three other NFC championship games.

Now though it appears fans are fed up with him and his staff. Last season they were in trouble after the Packers got off to a 4-6 start. McCarthy was under a ton of heat at the time but managed to save himself with a late-season surge to win the division.

Fast forward to this year and things are reaching those levels again. Except this time McCarthy doesn’t have Aaron Rodgers to help bail him out. Since the All-Pro broke his collarbone, the Packers have lost three-straight games. Fans are getting their pitchforks and torches out. They’ve had enough of McCarthy and his staff and are demanding a change.

Discontent stems from lack of Super Bowl success

It’s unclear to many outside Green Bay how they can be so willing to throw McCarthy out given his long run of success. Truth be told most of it has to do with not finishing the job enough. Yes McCarthy won a Super Bowl, but with a once-in-a-generation talent like Aaron Rodgers at quarterback he should’ve won at least one more. Probably two.

It’s especially difficult because that’s exactly what the New England Patriots have done with Tom Brady. If they can do it, why can’t Green Bay? To fans that’s an indictment on McCarthy and a damning reason for him to go. It’s time for a change.

If that ends up being the case, then the Bears can’t be stupid. They need to hire that man right away. Why? He’s better than Fox, for starters. In head-to-head matchups McCarthy owns a 6-2 edge over Fox. Beyond that he’s still just 53-years old, almost a full decade Fox’s junior. Last but certainly not least, he remains one of the best offensive play callers in the NFL.

Since he took over in 2006, the Packers offense has ranked in the top five for points scored in a season seven times. Now people will automatically think this was all about Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers. Except that’s not the case. During his five-year run as offensive coordinator in New Orleans, the Saints placed top 15 in scoring four times and top 10 twice.

Perhaps his greatest work came in 2013 though. That year Rodgers broke his collarbone for the first time. In seven games he was out, the Packers managed to score 26 or more points in three of them and threw the ball for 280 yards or more in four of them. It was proof that he could adjust his system to still find success.

Imagine what he’d be able to do with Trubisky. Also imagine how motivated he’d be to show Green Bay they made a mistake if he were fired.

Cubs GM Jed Hoyer Confirms New Bench Coach

By
Aldo Soto
-

The Chicago Cubs have made several changes to their coaching staff this offseason and GM Jed Hoyer confirmed two more on Thursday.

After Dave Martinez departed to become the Washington Nationals manager, Joe Maddon had to find a new bench coach and that will be Brandon Hyde.

Hyde has been with the Cubs since 2013 and was the first base coach for the last three years. He previously served as the Cubs bench coach before Maddon was hired prior to the 2015 season.

Ken Rosenthal reports that Hyde was offered the bench coach position by the New York Mets, but the Cubs wanted to keep him.

Meanwhile, Jim Hickey was also finally confirmed as the new pitching coach, coming over from the Tampa Bay Rays. Hickey replaces Chris Bosio, who is now with the Detroit Tigers.

3 Bold Bears Predictions For The Second Half

By
Dhruv Koul
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mitch trubisky

After a Chicago Bears bye week that seemed to last an eternity, it’s finally game week again!

Chicago ended the first half with a tough loss to New Orleans, dropping to an NFC North worst 3-5. But this team is absolutely headed in the right direction. So much so, in fact, that many people expect them to be relevant into December. Remember, the last three seasons, the Bears have been toast around Thanksgiving. So this is absolutely marked progress, thanks to one of the top defenses in the league.

While the playoffs are a long shot due to a strong NFC list of contenders and the Bears’ current 1-5 conference record, there is still a lot to play for and learn about this team during the remainder of the season. Here are some bold predictions for the second half:

1. Defense pitches two shutouts

This defense can compete for a championship today. That’s how good they are and that’s how well they’ve played. One of their biggest issues had been their inability to generate takeaways. They showed flashes of it against the Steelers, but they really discovered their mojo against the Ravens when they took advantage of a bad Baltimore offense. Since then, they’ve turned it on, causing turnovers in bunches against the Panthers and Saints, holding each offense to WELL below their season average.

Why two shutouts? Well, they face two of the most dreadful offenses in football in the currently 0-8 Browns and 49ers in December. Oh, and both those games are at Soldier Field. If the Panthers were held to just three points at Soldier Field and the the Saints were held to just 20 at the Superdome, what are DeShone Kizer and CJ Beathard going to do against this defense?

2. Mitch Trubisky finishes with 15 touchdown passes

Trubisky currently has two touchdown passes in four games started. So this means he’ll pass for 13 over the remaining eight games — more than 1.5 per game. I, along with everybody else in Bears World, expect Chicago to open up the offense and start passing more to strike more balance with their powerful running game. Because of that, assuming they execute properly, the Bears will no longer be predictable to the point where my dog knows what plays are coming. And I expect that they should have many more chances to score.

Obviously this one is predicated on the Bears actually doing the sensible thing and making an effort to inject variety and creativity in their offense. It’ll be very interesting to watch.

3. Bears finish with a winning record

Say whaaaaaaaaat? Well, these ARE bold predictions. But let me explain.

The Bears are 3-5. They’d need to go 6-2 over their final eight games to ensure a winning record. Sounds unlikely off the bat, right?

Well, consider their remaining schedule: Home vs. Aaron Rodgers-less Packers, Home vs. Lions, At Eagles, Home vs. 49ers, At Bengals, At Lions, Home vs. Browns, At Vikings.

Of those, the Bears are the better team in five of these matchups! If they play to their capability and don’t shoot themselves in the foot, they should beat the Packers this Sunday, the Lions at home, the 49ers, the Bengals, and the Browns. That’s five wins, putting them at least at 8-8.

Then, of the remaining three games, I think the Bears are good for an upset in one of them. So far, only the Panthers win and games that Mike Glennon didn’t throw away in the first quarter didn’t come down to the final drive. Yes, that’s right — the Bears were in coin flip games throughout the first half, despite a brutal schedule. Looking at these remaining three, the defense is good enough to bully these teams into lower scoring affairs. It then comes down to the offense. Hopefully by the Lions or Vikings game, they’ve shown enough growth to make an upset more feasible.

But yeah, there you have it. A winning record — it sounds nuts in theory. But if you break it down, there’s a method to the madness.

Despite the bold predictions — we can all agree on one thing. This is the most exciting Bears season and upcoming offseason in years. Chicago should compete for the NFC next year. It’s been a while since we’ve said that.

All Signs Point to Bears Unleashing Mitch Trubisky vs. Packers

By
Erik Lambert
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mitch trubisky

It seems like every time the Chicago Bears allow one of their quarterbacks to air it out against the Packers, bad things happen. Mike Glennon lost two fumbles and threw two interceptions in his lone opportunity. Jay Cutler threw four interceptions in his debut. Rex Grossman barely completed half his passes for 132 yards. Cade McNown threw for 15 yards in his. Go down the line and all of them failed to make a notable first impression. Will Mitch Trubisky be any different?

There are plenty of skeptics. The #2 overall pick has taken things slow through the first month of his starting career. He is averaging just 20 pass attempts per game and hasn’t even topped 200 yards passing in one yet. Head coach John Fox has made a clear statement. He will not let the rookie throw until he feels Trubisky is ready. For the past month that’s proven the case.

Now with a bye week in the books, things have changed. There is a growing buzz from out of Halas Hall that the Bears are planning to take the training wheels off. That it’s against the Packers presents all sorts of juicy subplots.

Packers were and still are the final exam for Mitch Trubisky and Bears QBs

Trubisky didn’t dance around the subject during his most recent meeting with Chicago media. He’s well aware of how seriously the fans take this rivalry. Especially in regards to the quarterback play. After watching Cutler go 2-11 against them with 22 interceptions, it’s easy to understand why they’re more critical than ever before. In their minds why should they take a quarterback seriously if he can’t perform well against the Packers?

By the sound of things Trubisky is eager for the challenge. Not only that, but he doesn’t plan on playing the passive approach this time.

“I’m pretty anxious and excited about this week. I kind of feel like it’s a new season in a way,” Trubisky said Wednesday. “I feel very confident and am very excited to really just start to open things up, play within myself and the offense and do my job so the offense can succeed and we can win more games.”

Offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains did nothing to dismiss the idea either. He hasn’t hidden his own desires to attack more often.

“I think throwing the ball down the field is going to help a lot of different things. I think that it’s going to help negative runs.”

No doubt this newfound optimism is motivated by two key factors

The first is the suddenly optimistic developments at wide receiver. New trade acquisition Dontrelle Inman has had over two weeks to get situated in the offense. Also Markus Wheaton is back at practice and sounds like he plans to play barring a setback. Though hardly stars, that will give Trubisky two more weapons with proven NFL productivity.

Then there’s the state of the Packers defense. After a strong start to 2017, it has steadily declined over the past month. They rank 20th in the league against the pass and even worse against the run. Matthew Stafford shredded them on Monday night for 361 yards and two touchdowns at Lambeau Field. He had only six incompletions. As a team the Packers have just 13 sacks.

After enduring a run against some of the best defenses in the NFL, this marks the first time Trubisky will go against a below average unit. One that no longer has Aaron Rodgers there to protect them. Could Trubisky be the first to have a truly positive debut against them for the Bears in decades?

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