Da Dos

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  • ’26 Bears Worse?

    ’26 Bears Worse?

    It’s a shame the old reg Buttonshoes didn’t make it over here. While everyone thought he was a bitter cynic and unshakable pessimist, he wasn’t really wrong. Didn’t make him the most popular guy in a blogasphere full of homers, but he was mostly correct about Lovie, Emery, Trestman, Sweaty Teddy, and his #1 enemy whom he hated with the heat of a thousand supernovas – the McCaskeys.

    So, in his honor, let’s take the skeptical tour of Ryan Poles’ FA

    The Bears are a WORSE team now post-FA ’26.

    Why? Glad you asked.
    Brisker is gone. His backup [coming off INJ] is now the starter.
    Wright is gone. Stevenson, who was benched for Wright, is now CB2.
    Trapilo is down [for who knows how long]. TWO benched backups [in Benedet and Braxton] are now going to fight to be the starter.

    That’s 3 backups now starting.

    Byard, while old, is likely still better than Cobe Bryant. Byard lead the league in INTs with 7. That’s BETTER than ‘lockdown’ CBs like Jayce Horn [Second with 5].To put that in perspective, Mike Brown in that magical 2000 season racked up 5 INTs. Byard also never missed games; however, Bryant is no chump. He had 5 INTs last season, and is a versatile, smart, aggressive leader on a SB winning team. So, let’s be generous and call it a wash.

    Nickel CB will be Mr. Glass, I mean, Spider-Man Gordon, but common.

    We all know he’s going to miss half the season. Last year Bears signed CJ Gardner Johnson off the street, and he delivered. It could be argued he saved 2 games. In 10 games he had 2 INTs, 1 FF, 3 sacks, 5 QB hits, and 51 tackles. Not shabby. Like Wright, he struggled mightily in coverage, but will CJ’s replacement [Cam Lewis] impact wins like him?

    On offense, I give Poles a slight pass. I don’t know if Dalman‘s retirement shocked him like us, but isn’t vetting in the job description of an NFL GM? Maybe that’s why other GMs passed on Dalman.

    Trapilo getting INJed late season was another kick in the nads out of Poles’ control.

    Nonetheless, results in the same. LT and C now are downgraded with Benedet and Bradbury. How do I know this? Because on Earth 2 Trapilo and Dalman are returning healthy and willing.

    Both Edwards and Dayo [motivated or not] are coming off INJ-plagued ’25 campaigns. Unfortunately, they’re also “starters.”

    Last yr WR1-DJ; WR2-Rome; WR3-Burden

    This year Rome [who drops at least 2 per game and is terrible at the one thing he was drafted for – contested catches] is WR1, while our WR3 is Kalif Raymond; no matter how optimistic you are, you can’t convince me that Raymond is a superior WR3 than Burden. Of course, one can argue that All Day Jadhae is the WR3, but hey, he was our WR4 last year.

    Bears’ TE3 also moved on, FWIW.

    Bears’ Dline 31st in Pass Rush Win Rate%
    – Rush D: 27th
    – Sacks: 22nd [35 overall]

    And that exact same Dline of Dayo-Dexter-Jarrett-Sweat returns, only older, battered and INJed! What can go wrong…

    49ers whooping the Bears

    Another little talked about ’26 FA factor to consider which I’m sure ButtonShoes would love.

    The fact that the McCaskeys, on top of being imbeciles, are cash poor in an existential stadium struggle which may sap their NFL mojo. Our old friend Data asserts as much, and he’s not alone.

    The LCD retort

    Well, if Buttonshoes was the eternal pessimist, his yang was the eternal [Bears] optimist LCD. He was so optimistic, he even truly pushed that the Bears should build around Fields and pass on Caleb!

    #DaHaul

    A lesson for all, but I digress…

    An optimist would spin it like this.

    Poles isn’t so much cooking as simmering. He’s getting everything prepped and marinated, not over committing two 1sts for Crosby, or $100M to Hendrickson – heck, not even a measly 3rd for DT Osa Odighizuwa.

    Slow and steady, like the turtle.

    Jarrett was INJed last year, performing better towards the end. Sweat is durable. Posted 10 sacks. Dexter great penetrator [that’s what she said], while Dayo can’t be worse, and Booker still filling out.

    Bryant, Bush, Jackson, et al are young, hungry and fast. Most importantly, they’re BJ-Allen guys. More we Flush the Fluseez, the better.

    Poles may have sucked ballz with Eberflus, but with BJ, they drafted fantastically, often rated as an “A” or “A+” selecting Loveland, Burden, Trapilo and Monangai.

    Bears own 4 picks in top 90. If they draft as well in ’26 on Defense, holy smokes, that’ll go a long way while saving cap for possible trade-deadline studs.

    NTM that this new regime has proven it can basically coach up anyone – Wright, CJGJ, Jackson, Trapilo, Monangai…so while the new crew on paper may not seem as sexy, CJ/Allen/Harris/Roushar will max their potential.

    By nature, I’m not a ‘hot take’ kinda guy. I’m more akin to The Dude, and he always abides.

    So, I’m not going to sit here and waste psychical energy morphing into either ButtonShoes or LCD. In my younger days, I actually cared about being right, and not just being right, but proving it to the unconverted.

    Now? Well, maybe my zeal’s flaccid, but “winning” and bathing in TigerBlood about relatively trivial minutia barely moves my pulse.

    For all we know, Caleb tears his ACL in August, or Myles Garrett finally forces his way out in October and Poles swings a deal – in either case, all this March Madness and angst turns moot.

    For now the only thing I certainly know is that our Dline MUST improve, but at the same time, BJ/Caleb will likely take it up another notch.


    ButtonShoes/LCD, Sith/Jedi, Ying/Yang. This is the way…

  • FA Thurs ’26

    FA Thurs ’26

    Bears’ new free-agent signings

    S Coby Bryant
    LB Devin Bush
    C Garrett Bradbury (’27 5th RDer)
    DT Neville Gallimore
    WR Kalif Raymond
    DB Cam Lewis
    DE Kentavius Street
    OT Jedrick Wills Jr.

    Bears who re-signed
    LT Braxton Jones
    QB Case Keenum
    LB D’Marco Jackson
    S Elijah Hicks
    DE Daniel Hardy

    Former Bears who signed elsewhere
    S Kevin Byard (signed with Patriots)
    CB Nahshon Wright (signed with Jets)
    LB Tremaine Edmunds (signed with Giants)
    WR Olamide Zaccheaus (signed with Falcons)
    DE Dominique Robinson (signed with Texans)
    DT Chris Williams (signed with Falcons)
    TE Durham Smythe (signed with Ravens)

    Bears’ free agents who remain unsigned
    DE Joe Tryon-Shoyinka (Void)
    OL Ryan Bates (Void)
    DT Andrew Billings (UFA)
    LB Amen Ogbongbemiga (UFA) (released by Bears)
    S Jonathan Owens (UFA)
    S Jaquan Brisker (UFA)
    RB Travis Homer (UFA)
    CB Nick McCloud (UFA)
    LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin (UFA)
    CB Jaylon Jones (UFA)
    LS Scott Daly (UFA)
    WR Devin Duvernay (UFA)
    S C.J. Gardner-Johnson (UFA)
    OL Jordan McFadden (RFA)
    LB Ty Summers (SFA)
    C Ricky Stromberg (SFA)

    Trust in Poles? For those who want to keep picks to draft the next Richard Dent…

    TW@Tylow237
    ·
    Sweat- 2nd rd pick traded; 4 years $98M

    Dayo- 3 years $48M

    Grady- 3 years $43.5M

    Dexter- 2nd rd pick

    Shemar- 2nd rd pick

    That’s three 2nd rd picks and $189.5M invested only to be the worst DL in the NFL. Well done, Ryan Poles!

    Free agent Defensive Lineman signed by Poles so far

    • Grady Jarrett
    • Dayo Odeyingbo
    • Yannick Ngakoue
    • Justin Jones
    • Andrew Billings
    • Al Quadin-Muhammad
    • Kentavious Street
    • Neville Gallimore

    At some point he needs to invest heavily in the trenches [Poles has invested, just badly]

    Hey, apparently, Dayo don’t care about sacks, pressures, TFLs, FFs, fumble recoveries, INTs, tipped passes, strips, tackles, stats, staying healthy, or any of your vein honors. He is now Motivated Dayo!

    Best DL options remaining for the #Bears:

    Free agency

    Cam Jordan
    Joey Bosa
    D.J. Wonnum
    D.J. Reader

    Trades

    Maxx Crosby
    Jonathan Greenard
    Kayvon Thibodeaux
    Josh Sweat
    Myles Garrett (?)

    OT:

  • #2ues Tampering

    #2ues Tampering

    Bears Nation@BearsNationCHI
    ·7h
    Free agent update:

    LB D’Marco Jackson re-signed 2 years $7.5 million
    S Coby Bryant signed 3 years $40 million
    DT Neville Gallimore signed 2 years $12 million
    LB Devin Bush signed 3 years $30 million ($21 million guaranteed)
    QB Case Keenum signed 2 years $5.5 million with a max value of $8 million
    OT Braxton Jones signed 1 year $10 million $ DE D Hardy 2 years $5 million

    Departures
    WR OZ – Falcons
    DE D Robinson – Texans
    LB T Edmunds – Giants
    WR DJ Moore – Bills

    QB Bagent – Likely
    SS Brisker – ???

    Bears’ Cap [OTC]: $13, 646, 445

    Total FA Spending by Team after Day 1 #Titans $283M

    #Raiders $281.5M

    #Panthers $172.5M

    #Commanders $147M

    #Colts $134M

    #Saints $132.5M

    #Giants $127.5M

    #Bengals $100M

    #Jets $82.5M

    #Chiefs $76M

    #Cardinals $75M

    #Seahawks $75M

    #Bears $68M

    #Dolphins $67.5M #Browns $66.5M #Chargers $65.3M #Buccaneers $61M #49ers $51.5M #Rams $51M #Patriots $48.5M #Steelers $46M #Falcons $39.5M #Broncos $35M #Cowboys $33M #Ravens $30M #Texans $29M #Lions $25M #Bills $20M #Vikings $8.5M #Jaguars TBA #Packers $0 #Eagles $0

    Top remaining FAs:

    Ari Meirov@MySportsUpdate

    DE Trey Hendrickson
    CB Tariq Woolen
    OT Rasheed Walker
    TE Chig Okonkwo
    WR Romeo Doubs
    S Kevin Byard
    CB Nahshon Wright
    DE K’Lavon Chaisson
    G Alijah Vera-Tucker
    G Chris Paul
    QB Kyler Murray
    OLB Bradley Chubb
    OT Taylor Decker
    OT Braden Smith
    G Elgton Jenkins
    WR Calvin Austin III
    WR Deebo Samuel
    WR Jauan Jennings
    G Wyatt Teller
    S Jaquan Brisker
    LB Kaden Elliss
    LB Leo Chenal
    TE Dallas Goedert
    TE David Njoku
    DT D.J. Reader
    RB Rachaad White

  • Untampering Weekend

    Untampering Weekend

    Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson. Jeff Haynes/AP

    NFL free agency unofficially opens at noon ET on March 9 [MON] with the negotiation window (when players can agree to terms); it officially opens at 4 p.m. ET on March 11 ( WEDs when players can actually be signed).

    Top 50 FAs

    I wanted Crosby initially; however, Dalman’s shocking retirement has changed my mind. Bears now have significant question marks at:

    SS [Brisker gone], C [Dalman gone], LT [Trapilo achilles], DE [Dayo achilles/suckage], DT [only two on roster as of this weekend], LB [Edmunds gone, Edwards old, HippoWho?]

    Thuney isn’t getting any younger; plus, this assumes Poles will resign an older Byard, and that the 3rd WR [DJ Moore gone] won’t be Velus Jones.

    In other words – a rebuild – or retweak.

    This isn’t quite “Apollo 13” where shit is at critical. This is more akin to “The Martian” where Poles [with major help from Ground Control Ben Johnson] must problem solve on the fly.


    Bears are in an odd spot. They absolutely overachieved in a magical ’25 season which may distort the real talent and depth of the team.

    It SEEMS [still TBD, btw] that the Bears nailed the two most vital components of sustained success: HC, QB

    [the 3rd part is GM, but let’s not digress, ahem].

    HC/QB can go a LONG way – mask many deficiencies and mistakes [see, 2000s Pats].

    Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams are the foundation. They offer a floor that is higher than Lovie/Grossman.

    The Oline is [or was] the strength of this team. A top 5 unit by most objective metrics.

    So one could make a valid case for attaining a premium LT+C in FA.

    The top 2 for the Bears should be recently released LT Taylor Decker [former Lion] on hopefully a short 1-2 yr deal ’til we know WTF is left of Trapilo

    Also C Linderbaum [former Raven], though many predict he’s asking for north of $22M/yr.

    I could see Poles paying Decker, and sticking to a cheaper option at C. He did draft Luke Newman after all; albeit that doesn’t automatically make him viable [cough- Kiran, Hippo, Velus- cough].

    Poles will now have to do what many great GMs [Grandmasters] must:

    Sacrifice lesser pieces to win.

    The proven formula is to build the lines, but does that mean paying a C like a player who scores TDs? NO.

    OTOH, one of the first things Poles did with BJ was sign Dalman, so it could be that BJ values C much more since his O lines up under C at a higher % than say the shotgun-happy Cards.

    IMO that unexpected $10M+ Dalman windfall should funnel to DE.

    LTs typically get paid, so I’d have no issue with a short-term Decker deal because the alternative is Parsons/Hutchinson/Turner-v-Benedet twice this year.

    Personally, I’d much rather the Bears pay for LT, and DE.

    Hendrickson is older and less effective vs run than Crosby, but he won’t cost draft picks.

    Between him, Booker, and whatever Dayo can muster on one Achilles, should improve Bears’ D while keeping that #25 for any number of long term solutions at DT, DE, LT, C, S.

    The other option is Poles opting for blue-bin specials.

    If Poles decides to skip on day 1 splashes, players such as these could be solid additions:

    Edge Jaelen Phillips

    DE Rashan Gary [only 28]

    Edge Mack

    Edge Cam Jordan [Allen connection]

    DT Rankins [Allen connection]

    LB Demario Davis [Allen…]

    C McGovern

    DT Jonathan Allen…

    Chicago Bears Network@bearsnetwork_
    LB Alex Anzalone is a name to watch for the Bears in free agency, per Jeremy Fowler.

    Anzalone was with Dennis Allen in New Orleans.

    (via @CHGO_Bears)

    Going into the weekend, no doubt a slew of players will get released, traded, or retire than the current list, so definitely a time to refresh news’ feed. Should be exciting for us Bear fans!

    TLDR Butch Moves.

    Pay DE Hendrickson
    Pay LT Decker
    Pay DT Rankins/Allen
    Prolly go cheap at C, draft
    Prolly go cheap at SS, draft
    Trade Bagency, get athletic project
    Try to trade Kyler Gordon, NB draft
    Maybe rework/trade Kmet
    Resign Byard and Demarco Jackson
    Maaaybe see what we can get for CB Jaylon Johnson.

    Time to totally remake roster in Ben Johnson image.


    Update:

    Gary Ross@gaross18-7h
    Courtney Cronin was on ESPN1000 this morning & said that she expects the Bears to get the comp picks for Cunningham. That would be HUGE!

  • Butch Take on Moving

    Butch Take on Moving

    Martin O’Neill/Getty Images

    GP thoroughly and meticulously dissected Bears possibly moving to Hammond, IN. I specifically wanted his angle since he’s a native Bears’ fan with a finance background; he did not disappoint. Fantastic piece.

    Now, I offer a somewhat more micro-take from what I coin “The Bears’ Diaspora.”

    All my life I’ve always been an outsider. This is not atypical for a person who moves around a lot. Being the new kid in the city, in the classroom, where you can almost feel the murmurs and looks…let’s just say it leaves a lasting impression.

    But it wasn’t just the moving. Even as a kid I never really felt comfortable around other kids. My inner voice would often say, “Well, that’s a bad idea” as my body would follow the stupidity regardless. I felt much more comfortable around old people. Not adults – ELDERS. I felt equally awkward around ‘grown ups’ especially if they were bleary-eyed high/drunk; I can still smell the bourbon off the mustaches. Maybe it was because an elderly african-american used to walk me to my school bus stop every morning. That routine may have been my most consistent non-familial interaction in childhood. Much more reliable than my hungover mom.

    His name was “Sly”. He wore creased slacks, members’ only jacket, Kangol hat with thick-brimmed frames. He volunteered to escort me every morning at 6AM because he occupied the same ghetto hotel my mom lived and worked in. Needless to say, the neighborhood wasn’t “Full House.” I always joke that I’m cool, wise and jazzy because of Sly.

    Well, boarding the bus may as well have been boarding Apollo 11, transporting me to another world an hour away [depending on traffic].

    Us yellow school-busers used to play a game. We would look out into the fwy, and call out cars. First to name the car [correctly], ‘got’ the car. The fancier the better. Well, the journey would begin with a trickle, maybe a suped up Mazda, ’64 Impala or convertible 5.0..by the end a flood of Jags, Porches and Ferraris. The high prize was a Lambo.

    The elementary I attended was wealthy. Not middle-class. Not upper-middle class. WEALTHY. The Jackson Family [yes, that one] used to literally live down the street [eerie, thinking back.]


    My best friend? A Japanese kid who barely spoke English. Yoshi just moved to L.A., and if I was an outsider, he was an alien. This was the “Bladerunner” era where red-bow-tied Americans fear-mongered that the Japanese would own the country by 2019, and we’d all be speaking “Jap”.

    Well, his dad was part of that Japanese business “invasion”. Needless to say, many ‘mericans were hostile. As a child, you don’t exactly sit and analyze much from a psychological, sociological or geopolitical lens. – like how a “thug” from the inner city befriends an “FOB” [fresh off the boat]; however, in retrospect, it makes absolute sense. Gender, nationality, language, class, race, ethnicity…didn’t matter.

    We were both Martians exiled to the Valley.


  • Got a Chubb?

    Got a Chubb?

    Megan Briggs/Getty Images

    Dolphins released Bradley Chubb, so naturally, Bear fans are instantly debating if they they want him, or if he’s even cap feasible.

    I’ll give my take.

    At first I didn’t want him. He’s basically another 29yr old Sweat-tier DE [if that]. Good, but not dominant like Crosby, Garrett, or prime Mack/Peppers.

    HOWEVER, unlike those S-tier edges, Chubb will NOT cost multiple 1sts.

    We gotta be real. I doubt Poles is going to admit he totally whiffed on Dayo. He sticks way too long on ‘his guys’ whether it’s Claypoo, Velus, or even Eberflus. We also must calculate that Dayo will cost approx $20M against the ’26 cap and won’t save much if cut. Poles will essentially be paying Dayo $22M to thin out an already wafer-thin Dline.

    It gets worse. Dayo [who never had more than 5 sacks a season] is coming off an achilles’ INJ which take 9-12 months for recovery, and sometimes two years, and sometimes, the athlete NEVER regains the same explosion [nightmare scenario for Trapilo as well. He could return around Halloween or January ’27, and he may never be the same regardless].

    As the link above discusses, MAYBBBEEE Halas can dump Dayo via INJ settlement, spread out the cap hit, but I’m not holding my breath. Dayo’s not going to sail off in a banana boat out of the kindness of his heart. As such, Bears are likely stuck with Dayo and his $20M cap hit.

    With that in mind, what are the chances the Bears are able to land a top DE like Crosby or Garrett? [to say nothing of the draft cost]. Can they even afford former Bengal Trey Hendrickson who seems to only care about getting paid?

    Enter Bradley Chubb who won’t cost the Bears draft picks or $40M/yr. The contract can be relatively short term too – something like the 3-yr Dayo contract, but hopefully with a short term out.

    Bradley Chubb. 6’4, 268, 29 yrs old, 34″ arms, but mostly played in a 3-4. 11 sacks in ’23, [tore his ACL in ’24]; 8 sacks in ’25 + 12.2% rush win rate. PFF grade 57 overall. Pass rush 60. Run 57. [His run D doesn’t thrill me or Allen]

    Two big questions:
    1. Is he a fit in Allen’s 4-3?
    2. Are his best years behind him [see ACL]?

    Given the disaster that is Dayo, it’s hard for me to trust the scouting eyes at Halas to properly answer those, but hey, beggars can’t be choosers, and the Bears are beggars here.

    We don’t know if another team will conveniently release a Chubb-tier DE, and even if they do in-season, that hypothetical released DE will hit the waivers.

    So while I may not get a full-Chubb for Chubb, he may be the best option of a suboptimal situation especially since we have no clue when Dayo [who sucked] will even be available for much of the season.

    Signing Chubb will also mean that Poles can keep the #25 overall pick, and future picks, to re-stack a team which has more holes than the Iraqi navy.

    Crosby and Garrett are the sleek sports’ car with the whale-tail.
    Chubb is that Toyota Camry the gambler who whiffed must settle for.



  • Take. The. Points.

    Take. The. Points.

    Official. Pats-v-Seahawks SB.

    This was my projected outcome. I still predict SEA will win the whole thing. They seem like the most complete team: solid coaching; good QB [who is not currently choking]; unstoppable WR with 1-2 punch at HB; great D and specials; NFCW Battle tested [unlike Pats].

    Brett James@thebrettjames1
    ·10h
    Patriots path to a Super Bowl:

    Dolphins x2 (7-10)

    Panthers (8-9)

    Saints (6-11)

    Titans (3-14)

    Bills (12-5)

    Browns (5-12)

    Falcons (8-9)

    Buccaneers (8-9)

    Jets x2 (3-14)

    Bengals (6-11)

    Giants (4-13)

    Ravens (8-9)

    [Playoffs]Justin Herbert; CJ Stroud; Jarrett Stidham

    Dante Koplowitz-Fleming@DanteKopFlem
    ·10h
    Fewest points scored in the Wild Card, Divisional, and Conference Championship Games en route to a Super Bowl appearance:

    54 – 2025 Patriots [Maye]
    61 – 2000 Ravens [Dilfer]
    68 – 2007 Giants [Eli]

    This was Maye’s statline somewhere in the 2nd QTR vs Broncos:

    8/14 [57%], 46 yds, and 50 yds rushing, 1 TD. Maye is Fields!

    NFL Researcher@NFL_Researcher
    ·10h
    The Patriots have averaged 18.0 PPG this postseason, the fewest by any team to make the Super Bowl since the 1979 Rams (15.0).

    One seemingly underrated area though is the Pats’ Dline, especially the interior. They make life hard on both HB and QB, which allows Maye to effectively game manage and scramble on pivotal downs.

    Butch’s overall ’26 playoff impression.

    Collinsworth, of all ppl, perhaps summed it up best:

    “These games more often than not are lost not won.”

    BJ, Payton, McVay, all good, all offensive minded, all aggressive, all ‘analytic driven’…watching SB from home just like the rest of us.

    Why?

    Because they all passed up on gimme 3 points that could’ve absolutely turned the tide.

    BJ’s missing 3 points would’ve meant that 4rth down magic Caleb TD doesn’t send the game to OT [where Bears lose], rather sends them to the next round vs SEA who looked much more beatable than I surmised.

    Payton’s missing 3 points? I mean, Jesus, he’s playing with a backup QB who had ZERO live snaps in a game that ended 10-7. No, he couldn’t have guessed the 2nd half would turn into a blizzard, but that’s why you TAKE. THE. POINTS.

    McVay’s missing 3 points would’ve meant that final drive just needed to get into FG range as opposed to needing a TD with no TOs and under a minute left. Much more doable since the Rams were moving the ball well all game.

    Time mismanagement also plagued the losing HCs.

    Payton was aggressive before the half which quickly gave back the ball to Pats [with 3 TOs] who then scored what ultimately became the game-deciding TD.

    McVay had zero TOs left by the end making it nigh impossible to drive the field and score a game winning TD.

    Meanwhile, their ‘defensive’ counterparts in Vrabel and McDonald mostly called it more ‘conservatively’. [One may argue, more ‘logically’ given their victories.] Does Vrabel or McDonald call that Caleb-to-DJ killshot in OT that was INTed? Or do they simply keep handing it off for another 10-12 yards with an O that was driving? Think we know the answer, and that is why they’re in the SB.

    Vrabel, like McVay, did go for it on 4rth, but it was 4rth and inches as opposed to 4rth and 1-2 yds, and even then it nearly ended in disaster. Honestly, it looked short to me live.

    Playing ‘to win the game’ resulted in losses.

    When one thinks of Genghis Khan likely images of a marauding wild general come to mind; however, many of his victories derived from relying on his enemies’ rashness to chase his ‘fleeing nomads’. Little did the cocky suckers realize it was a feigned retreat leading to slaughter.

    Now fast forward to Hitler dogmatically sticking to the philosophy of Blitzkrieg Blitzkrieg Blitzkrieg! Or alternatively, ordering his generals to hold positions to the death when a tactical retreat would’ve been optimal.

    Hope Ben Johnson takes this lesson to heart:

    a great general knows when to blitzkrieg, when to feint, and when to TAKE THE FUCKING POINTS.

  • Rams@Bears Divisional RD Preview

    Rams@Bears Divisional RD Preview

    Well, I suppose I could write-up the usual musts:

    1. Stop the run
    2. Get the run game going
    3. Control TOP
    4. Win TO & Redzone battle
    5. Play a COMPLETE game

    Well, we can just trash any traditional script.

    ’25 Bounceback Bears defy all standard winning “formulas.”

    Take these ridicules facts:
    —
    Kirsten Tanis@Kirsten_Tanis1

    Per ESPN, Bears had a 13.5% chance before the season to win the NFC North.

    After starting 0-2 in the division, odds plummeted to the low single digits.

    Tonight, they earned the crown. 👑🐻⬇️

    Against all odds, the Chicago Bears kept the faith & kept fighting until it was theirs!
    —
    Jacob Infante

    Since the NFL merger in 1970, just 43 of 422 teams made the playoffs after an 0-2 start, a percentage of just 10.1%
    —
    Caleb on that 4th & 8 throw of the year: Running 13.2 MPH to his non-dominant side 35.3 yards in the air

    —
    Bears vs Packers this season:

    Offensive plays with the lead
    Packers: 106
    Bears: 0
    —
    The Bears are 3-3 when down 10+ points in the final 5 minutes of the 4th quarter this season.

    The rest of the NFL is 3-158

    —

    Bears have won 6 games trailing inside 2 minutes. That’s impossible – Collinsworth
    —
    Notable #Bears win percentages in key games they’ve won this year:

    • Raiders: 19.3%
    • Commanders: 15.9%
    • Bengals: 14.1%
    • Giants: 4.0%
    • Vikings: 24.9%
    • Packers: 3.0%

    The probability of all those games being wins? 0.0001295%.

    Raiders needed a blocked FG
    Commies needed a fumbled snap/recovery
    Bengals score over 42 points + Loveland
    Gmen down 20-10 with 4:00
    Vikings down 16-17 with :50 left + Durvernay KR
    Packers onside recovery, TD, 2 point etc
    Packers III 25 points in 4rth QTR

    Wish Data was around to quan the maths, but needless to say, Bounceback Bears have defied all logic. There’s a word for that – magical. Christian Watson expressed the improbable season best.

    These Bears will find a way. The Bears are the living avatars of “Just win, baby.” How many game day threads began “Same Ole Bears” and ended “How the F did they pull that one off!”

    By now it’s a feature, not bug. Granted, that doesn’t make the Bears invincible. They were home underdogs vs Packers, now Rams, and likely will be the dogs until confetti drops on their heads; however, their “magic” fizzled out vs Ravens, 9ers, Lions[2X], and NEARLY to 6 other teams.

    So here are some pertinent deets vs the Rams specifically.

    It should be noted that Matthew Stafford [whose thumb may or may not be INJed] was born in FL, grew up in TX, played at GA, then for domed Lions and now sunny LAR.
    He has struggled in cold weather games, and has a penchant for self-destructing a la Jared Goff. Did you watch the final Aaron Rodgers’ game? Old QBs don’t like being hit, and they REALLY don’t like being broken in half like an icicle when it’s freezing, snowy and windy.

    In general, domed teams this past decade are 1-15 in the playoffs when kickoff was at/below 40°

    That being said, what WOULD worry me is that Goffesque QBs can dissect this “Bend Don’t Break D.” Goff did it twice. Brock Purdy once. Shit, even Grandpa Joe Flacco lit them up for 42 and had all of us sniffing glue on that final drive that ultimately floundered.

    Savvy vet QBs [and two efficient backups] have made this defense look terrible, and they weren’t coached by Sean McVay.

    Rams also roster lethal talent: Nacua, top 3 TE combo, top 3 HB combo, Verse, Young…

    So none of us should bet our mortgage down quite yet.

    Jeff’s famous line was “Why Do I like the Bears? I always like the Bears.”

    Well, these Bears convert even haters into fans like Rocky-v-Drago.

    Why do I like the Bears? I don’t. I LOVE these Bears, and I Bearlieve.

    🐻⬇️

  • Packers@Bears III. Playoffs, baby!

    Packers@Bears III. Playoffs, baby!

    So I got a little busy this week, but couldn’t think of anything awe-inspiring to write about the matchup.

    A major part of that is because this is the THIRD time the Bears have faced Green Bay this season.

    Divisional games are always a toss-up. That’s how you end up with Commanders defeating the Eagles last week, or the Bears prevailing against the Packers’ in the ’24 finale. Then you add this is the 3rd time [in 5 weeks] playing against one another in the same season, and voila, near coin-flip.

    As they say, familiarity breeds contempt, and you know the Packers are still fuming over the dramatic loss, so they are going to come out brawling.

    An interesting factoid though which caught my eye.

    How many points have the Bears scored against the Packers in the first half this season?

    If your answer is 3, you are sadly correct.

    Clearly, the Bears can NOT sputter out of the gate this time around.

    We saw what a slow start does to the crowd in the final Lions’ game; it totally nullifies the homefield advantage, NVM breaking any offensive rhythm while exhausting the D and sapping any psychological mojo.

    Bears are not a juggernaut. Regardless of record, they are the underdogs [Vegas agrees: Pack are -1.5 road favorites]. They are young with little to no playoff experience. Difference makers like Rome, Gordon and Ozzy will be playing through INJs.

    Soldier Field forecast predicts 9°F, snow and possibly 39 MPH wind!

    Halas has heavily invested in transforming the Bears into a modern offensive-minded team. Ben Johnson, Caleb Williams and crew simply cannot afford to cede an entire first half or else “The Iceman” is going to mean starting cold.

    The Chicago media-machine has conjectured what has gone wrong early. Some surmise it is BJ’s initial opening script, specifically that the NFL has figured it out. Some theorize Caleb is too unfocused and erratic when the game is not on the line. Clay Harbor pushes that it simply comes down to execution and eliminating mistakes, especially on 3rd down; he further elaborates the defense “bending” but not breaking for 8 minutes straight ices the offense. It is going to be hard to get into any sort of rhythm if Caleb, Swift and Burden are thawing in their snowy trench coats through two commercial breaks.

    Whatever the issue for slow first halves, the Bears MUST solve it, PRONTO.

    The easiest solution would be for the Bears’ oline to open up lanes for Swift and Monangai to win TOP and keep a shaky D off the field.

    No reason Bears can not start hot either. The Packers’ D in the past 4 games[w/out Parsons] has imploded:

    Which brings me to why I struggled a bit with a preview since I am going to sound cliche:

    The team that wins the trenches, turnover and redzone battle will likely prevail.

    This applies to the defense as well. They cannot for the life of them get off on 3rd down, which allows for QTR long, soul-sucking drives.

    They began [up to Nov] the season top 6ish in opponent third-down conversion. They finished like 22nd [allowing around 40.8% success], and we have witnessed this downward trend in the two losses against SF and DET.

    It does not even seem to matter what Dennis Allen calls either. He mostly played zone vs SF, and they lit that D up for 42 points.

    He mostly played man vs DET, and they lost the TOP battle (19:12-10:48) while their WRs abused Wright, CJ and JJ to 7.7 yards per attempt.

    So what is the answer?

    Well, again, this is going to sound trite.

    Bear players must rise to occasion. The roster must overperform. Sweat, Booker, Jarrett, Brisker, Wright…gotta play out of their minds.

    An interviewer [Manziel] once tried to blame Rex Grossman for the SB loss, but Urlacher was having none of it. Urlacher pointed out that the Colts racked up 250 yards passing and a mind-boggling 190 yards rushing when season long that ’06 D gave up 300 TOTAL. Fans often forget that part.

    In other words: The ’06 Bears’ SB D underperformed.

    [Granted, no MB or Tharris hurt]

    That cannot happen this time around. The Bears must not just meet but SURPASS their potential.

    Since this is a trilogy, think Rocky.

    I compared the ’25 Bears to the both the SB winning ’08 Giants and ’10 Saints.

    In short, both teams “overachieved”.

    Racking up key TOs, clutch moments, and bold decisions. That is how a team overcomes a talent deficit.

    Much like in life, the Bears gotta be the BEST versions of themselves on this unexpected playoff run because as Urlacher relayed, nothing is guaranteed going forward.

    So Godspeed, Chicago Bears.

    For once in 40 years shatter our cynical ‘same ole Bears‘ mantra.

    Rewire the Favre-Rodgers trauma and make us once again BEARLIEVE.

    Bear Down and FTP!

  • Browns@Bears WK15 Preview

    Browns@Bears WK15 Preview

    Can you believe only 4 games left?

    Browns, Pack, @9ers, home finale Lions, and that’s a wrap.

    Season has flown by, and we’re zooming into 2026. So savor it.

    Browns[+7.5]-v-Bears
    O/U 39.5 [Draftkings]

    If you’re feeling nostalgic and want to see one of the craziest comebacks of all-time, click here!

    By the numbers:

    This is going to be a cold AF game. Like Dante’s 9th circle of hell freezing. Could be windy too, so the passing game will likely suffer.

    That type of game should theoretically favor the Bears with their potent 1-2 HB punch while limiting Myles Garrett. However, Browns are no push-overs. Gotta remember they BEAT the Packers 13-10. I loved Quinshon Judkins in the draft and was hoping Poles could somehow steal him. He’s a 5’11, 220 pound hammer who runs a 4.48.

    Browns also now have a better QB than Flacco.

    I have caught some of Shadeur Sanders whenever I could because he piques my curiosity. I tell you what, when he has time, he can make plays.

    Shedeur Sanders vs the Titans:

    364 YARDS
    3 PASS TD
    1 RUSH TD
    23/42 CMP
    97.7 PASS RATING

    [Big Time Throw/ TO Worthy Plays]

    That being said, Shedeur’s depth of target is relatively low [screens]and his season long comp% is 52.4% [hey, finally a QB lower than Caleb!], so the key will be for Dennis Allen to find some way to pressure him. If Allen befuddles the rook, we could see a multiple INT game. If not, well, see above.

    Their defense is scary lead by this generation’s Julius Peppers.

    Myles Garrett already has 20 sacks! He needs 3 more vs Bears to break the all-time record of 22 [if I recall, Strahan got that with a little help from his buddy Favre]. Garrett’s record breaking campaign impresses more given the fact that the Browns were likely trailing in most games. Man, I hope Bears start recruiting him for next season!

    Garrett is also a beast against the run, so via con dios, Ozzy Trapilo. Their run D overall has limited explosive runs [11th best] but allowed 2 vs Titans while the Bears didn’t have a run play over 10 yds vs Pack, so this is anyone’s guess in freezing conditions.

    TLDR.

    Bears control run, TOP, with tactical Caleb strikes while pressuring Shedeur = WIN.

    *Cairo Santos doesn’t cuck it

    OVERTIME:

    We cover Caleb Williams a lot since QB is the most important position in all of sports, but we gotta give some laurels to what Dan Roushar is doing with that Oline.

    Our 2024 Oline was abject dogshit. Now it’s one of the top units in all the NFL. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced this dramatic turn around for a Bears unit in my lifetime.

    Here is Roushar’s former OT Terron Armstead talking about his coaching.

    If you’re wondering about Ozzy Trapilo specifically, here is an excellent breakdown of him thus far.

    Silliness: