Da Dos

Category: NFL, Bears

  • When a win is more than a win, or is it?

    When a win is more than a win, or is it?

    By reg Clockwork Orange and Blue

    Aaron Rodgers has a career 25-5 record against the Bears. He famously declared his ownership of the Bears following the Rodgers Packers’ penultimate victory against the Beloved in Rodgers’ final year with the team. Nothing tastes as sweet, or devastates as much, than a win or loss against the Packers, and this was especially true with Rodgers at the helm. And now in week 12 of an improbable 7-3 season, the Bears are faced with an aging Rodgers on a different team.

    8-3 is a mark that would put the Bears one win closer to the magic number of 10, a total that would certainly catapult them to the playoffs and mark the start of what could be the Bears team we have all been thirsting for – one that wins games not in spite but because of their offense and quarterback. Are all wins equal? Do we dare now move the goalposts from “any win is a good win”?

    With Rodgers suffering (my god, I hope he is suffering) a broken left wrist and marked as questionable to play on Sunday, do we hope to see him in the pocket, knowing full well his ownership, his football voodoo, over the Bears?

    You and I know he wants to be dancing out of the pocket after a near sack, twisting and galloping with Bears in pursuit from behind while he angles toward the flat, and with a flick of the wrist, sending a perfect lofted spiral into the waiting hands of a streaking receiver, breaking Chicago’s spirit once more. You just know he wants to do that one last time, to punctuate his career with a defining statement: “I will forever own you.”

    On the flip side, even though he is not with Green Bay, what would be sweeter than to see Rodgers rolling in agony on the Soldier Field turf after releasing a lame duck following a brutal full frontal blow, a ball that flutters gently down into the hands of a waiting safety who then speeds by the scene of the crime and all eyes are not on the motionless Rodgers, but on the celebration in the end zone, the final score that ends both the game and Rodgers’ career.

    Do you take that chance with Rodgers, knowing it could take you back to the heartbreak of the last 20 years, but also knowing that you could find yourself with a real reason to say “this Bears team is different and for real”? Or would you rather not face that prospect and see Mason Rudolph under center, knowing the chances for victory are that much greater. How badly do you want to reach 10 wins – are you a pragmatist or a romantic?

    Mike Tomlin and the Steelers are the quintessential pragmatists. It is why he is where he is in his 19th season, having never suffered a losing season, yet only winning a single Super Bowl. Do we want to be the Steelers? Would you be happy if Ben Johnson’s career mirrored Tomlin’s?

    I would not. I am a Romantic, an Idealist, and I have an inkling that Ben Johnson is too. Does he enjoy the wins? Yes. he certainly does. But in his decisions, I do not see Tomlin, or Lovie. I see a man driven by his ideals. He knows what he wants and he knows what he wants to see. He is a man who will not just be satisfied with a .600 winning percentage and a long career. He wants to feel the adrenaline of a win without excuses.

    He wants to beat Rodgers.

    And so do I.

  • Bears: Subpar, Soft & Stupid

    Bears: Subpar, Soft & Stupid

    I can go into a Dataeque deep dive citing PFF, Next Gen Stats, charts, twitter clips and still-shots, all sorts of links to former players/coaches dissecting every Bear minutia, but frankly, they’re not worth the effort.

    My only take away: the ’25 Bears are subpar, soft and stupid.

    1 Subpar. Or more accurately, substar in that the team rosters no real blue-chips. MAYBE Jaylon Johnson who is INJed. Maybe Thuney who is on the downslope of his career. That’s about it. In a franchise that boasts the most HOFers full of players like Butkus, Sayers, Sweetness, Dent, Hester…studs who made plays especially when the game was on the line; this current Bears’ incarnation of JAGs is the main reason I predicted Bears would finish last in NFCN. What I didn’t expect that they may finish last in the entire league. This mostly falls on Ryan Poles whom naturally the McCaskeys, in their infinite wisdom, decided to extend.

    2. Soft. This is something I suspected but didn’t want to manifest into existence. This team is mentally SOFT AF. I’ve never witnessed a team fold like a cheap tent after one loss like this team did after the Washington Hail Mary. That wasn’t anomalous either, but fast forward to this year. Week 1 they were very much in that game until that bogus Wright holding call. After that obstacle, they never recovered. This week again, very much in it, until that bullshit ending to the half where the Viking should have been ruled down and clock expired. Instead, he was ruled out – Vikings rewarded six seconds back. Predictably they scored a TD, and once more, self-implosion. This team can’t handle adversity or setbacks which is a lethal mix with being…

    3. Stupid. They just keep shooting themselves in the foot, whether it’s drive killing pre-snap penalties, holding, pass-interference, terrible time management, angles, situational awareness, challenges, blown coverages, going for 1st downs instead of kicking easy FGs, not kicking it out of bounds, seemingly NO professional game plan or counter-punch, and that’s not even considering the lack of execution like killer drops, missed running lanes and big plays [see #1].

    This team reminds me of Mush from “The Bronx Tale.”

    We all know a Mush. I have a friend who seemingly gets-off on complaining: work, family, relationships, sports, car, traffic, everything and anything. Just always self-pitying, whining, and somewhat permanently disgruntled. I love him, but I can only take so much before my Boomer-itis kicks-in, “Snap the fuck out of it!” [and he’s OLDER than I am].

    I introduced him to the girl I’m dating at a happening club with plenty of skimpy clad women; he proceeded to spend half the night relaying to her his last 3 breakups. At some point she turns to me like ‘is this guy forreal? I just met him’ I just shrugged and went over to save her. We danced. He hit the bar.

    He expects life to kick him in the balls, and somehow, life obliges.

    “Whether you think you can, or think you can’t, in both instances – you’re right.”

    This team is like that. I get it, TBH. I’ve been on some terrible teams where losses completely demoralize players. Everything transforms to doom and gloom. At the beginning of each season, everyone is angelic shining with radiant hope. After a chain of brutal beat downs, that locker room disfigures into “Paradise Lost”. Sometimes a team climbs out of the fall. Often it doesn’t.

    This team can’t apparently. They expect for something in the game to go south, and when it does, they quit. No 3 AM grit. No Lach in Zona refusing defeat. No coach at halftime losing his shit, throwing objects around, calling players out as men.

    Nope, instead we get the same ole same ole

    Mush.

  • Ty-Writer Drops Bombs!

    Ty-Writer Drops Bombs!

    At this point it would be negligent of me to NOT share Tyler Dunne’s trilogy “House of Dysfunction.”

    I won’t cover it all, and TBH, it’s a bit of a bummer reading this right before the season kicks-off. It’s like sniffing a turd emanating from a wrapped gift before Christmas.

    Nevertheless, wishful thinking is no way to prance through life. So buckle up; here’s a summary:

    Part I

    1. Caleb Williams seems disrespectful towards the coaches: Waldron, Brown, and likely Eberflus.

    2. The Vets didn’t like Caleb, a rook, busting on the scene, making coaches and vets conform to him.

    3. Caleb might be football dumb; apparently his mental struggles were so extreme, Dunne muses if Caleb actually possesses a learning disability.

    4. Caleb is not just entitled and learning disabled, but LAZY.

    The Bears offense devolved into an exercise of trial and error to fit whatever the USC rookie demanded.

    All of which would’ve been manageable if Williams was willing to work. He was not.


    Part II

    1. Ryan Poles rigged the selection. Like Kim Jung Un, he let his biases be known and expected the lackies to follow. Here’s a reenactment.

    2. Poles’ autocratic manipulations essentially made Caleb Williams the only viable option at QB despite it being arguably the strongest QB draft since ’83.

    “To those seeking a vibrant debate, these draft meetings were a farce.”

    Part III has yet to drop, but this is their outline:

    In Part III, we zoom out: Who’s to blame? The Bears have become an organization repellent to independent thought. The GM inherited a bad situation and managed to make it worse with a 15-36 record. All roads in this league tend to lead back to ownership.

    I won’t rehash my thoughts. If you’re curious, just click on the previous post; however, I do disagree with Jeff on one point.

    How in the world can this news, if true, NOT impact Ben Johnson’s tenure?

    If the QB is entitled, challenged and lazy, what can the HC do to fix THAT?

    What kind of culture will those traits create?

    [Didn’t we get a sneak peak of that last season when rumors swirled that the vets wanted Bagent to start over Caleb?]

    That being said, as a fellow late-bloomer, this doesn’t mean that Caleb is Jeff-George-Leaf-Manziel-Fated. Even if all those reports are legit, something can click inside Caleb to turn it all around.

    Happens all the time. Everyone loves a 2nd act.

    Still, I expect Poles and sycophants to vigorously deny, deflect, and distort the details because that’s what ‘strong-men’ do when criticized, exposed or challenged.

    Heck, maybe Poles will claim that Dunne is a Detroit constructed AI to undermine the Bears’ season and his reign – Fake News!

    I would absolutely love for some intrepid reporter to ask Mercedes Lewis, Keenan Allen or DeMarcus Walker if the trilogy is accurate. The current Bears like DJ will likely lie through their teeth. That’s fine, but those ex-Bears are free to relay the truth.

    And as with all things, the truth will out.
    The die is cast. The chips are all-in.

    Like those Turkmenistan cabinet members, we too are now forced to cheer, root and clap as Poles raises the fu-bar to another level…

  • The Bears are Finishing Last in the NFCN. AGAIN…

    The Bears are Finishing Last in the NFCN. AGAIN…

    As y’all know, I’m new to this whole Blogging biz. So, I snoop about. Seems like everyone is making a bunch of predictions. I was going to do some in-depth 4-parter… no need.

    Poles whiffed on the previous HC, Flus. And YES, as Jeff the ultimate Bears’ insider has stated emphatically, Poles WANTED Flus; furthermore, Poles vouched for Flus the off-season he should’ve been canned.

    In La Cosa Nostra, when mobsters vouched for Joe Pistone, AKA, Donnie Brasco, they were KILLED. Dead wrong was literal.

    Seems the least that should’ve happened to Poles is a pink-slip. Yet, he somehow stuck like shit on soles, and stunningly even managed to get extended! So Bears…

    Poles hiring, and backing Flus stunted the Bears on multiple levels. But this isn’t the only way Poles has hurt the Bears. In addition, his mediocrity [at best] has left them bereft of not only blue-chip talent, but DEPTH.

    Now the chickens have come home to roost.

    Poles tried his best to compensate for his misses, doing what most mid-GMs do to salvage their rosters and careers – trades for players other teams developed since the Bears can’t develop their own. Plus FA shopping spree.

    Nevertheless, it’s still not enough, is it?

    Too many questions persist: can Sweat rebound, or is he essentially the new Alex Brown? Can Dayo, ya know, sack QBs, or should that $ have been funneled to possibly Trey Hendrickson or Micah Parsons? WTF’s going on at LT? Was Wright overdrafted and merely an avg RT? [cough, Carter, cough] If Jonah Jackson was so good, why did McVey happily send him packing? What happens if Brisker gets another concussion? What if Swift or Byard go down?

    And the million dollar question:

    Can Caleb become better than Jayden Daniels?

    Poles didn’t draft Caleb #1 overall to be Kyler Murray or worse than Bo Nix.

    NTM , no matter how much Ben Johnson is praised, we simply don’t know if he’s an NFL-winning HC.

    Remember when Chip Kelly stormed into the league in a whirlwind of praises?

    Meanwhile, the Lions, Vikings and Packers pose far fewer questions. They won 15, 14 and 11 games, respectively, and all are legit SB contenders.

    Then the lowly Bears.

    That’s a tough road to slog with so many unknowns, lack of All-Pros, and paper-thin depth at key positions under a rookie HC.

    As such, my predicalator computes…Bears finish last in NFCN.

    Now, this might seem pessimistic at first, but don’t throw your laptop at your TV quite yet!

    If the Bears were in a weaker division, say, the NFC or AFC South, I’d argue they could win the division, but that’s not our reality.

    They can win 9 games, yet be last and out of the playoffs. In that scenario, we can still be optimistic as long as the team appears heading in the right direction.

    This is like a middle-weight being thrown into a division with prime Sugar Ray, Hagler, Hearns and Duran – via con dios…

    How the Bears don’t finish last:

    Like Dr. Strange navigating multitudinous futures, I’ll offer some possibilities where Bears leap-frog their rivals. I’ll try to leave the obvious ‘if player-x gets INJed.’


    1. Lions. They’ve been remarkably consistent. In some ways, they’re like the Bills. A blue-collar gritty out. However, both their lauded OC and DC left, and no one knows exactly how it will negatively impact them. It can’t be good, but how bad can it make them?

    2. Vikings. Perhaps the biggest X-factor in the division – is JJ McCarthy a franchise QB? If he’s not, or even just starts off slowly like Bryce Young, well, Vikings could drop to the dredges.

    3. Packers. Much like the Vikings, their future firmly rests on the arm of Jordan Love and the back of Micah Parsons. I just feel something askew with that team. They were a blocked FG away from the Bears sweeping them last season, and they couldn’t beat the Bears in the finale despite the Bears playing for only pride. Jordan Love could be their Sexy Rexy. A streaky, sometimes INJed QB, who can push a team far but always tumultuously. Plus, if Parson’s back is more messed up than previously assumed, then that truly cripples the team as he cost two first rounders and an astounding $46M against the cap.

    4. Bears. Throw all the doubts out. Ignore the lack of a premiere pass rusher, questionable LT, thin depth, rookie HC…

    If Caleb becomes Mahomes, then game on. Not only won’t they finish last, it’s entirely plausible they overtake the Lions and make a strong playoff-push.

    Look at the Bengals. Their ’21 team was OK, but I don’t believe many predicted they’d make it to the SB. Bengals like the Lions were a joke for decades. They made the SB mainly on the phenomena that is Joe Burrow [and to a lesser extent, Ja’Marr Chase].

    If Caleb throws for 4,600, 34TDs, runs for another 500 while earning an 108 QB rating, then it won’t matter what the Lions, Vikings, Packers, or any team honestly, does because Caleb will simply impose his greatness, and all the D and specials have to do is not suck.

    Hey, a gal can dream…

  • Gruden Grinding NFCN

    Gruden Grinding NFCN

    Chucky breaking down NFCN, starts off with Bears.

    Some interesting tidbits:

    Bears haven’t had a winning season since ’18 [12-4].

    Bears have finished LAST in past 7 of 11 seasons.

    Bears have only had a Top 10 Offense three times in past 30 years.

    Bears only team to never have a 4K passer or 30 TD QB.

    ‘It’s time for all the players Poles got [in CAR trade]- Caleb, Wright, DJ, Stevenson and Burden – to step up’

    Lions went for it on 4rth down 110x in last three [BJ] years.

    ’24 Bears O were 32nd in yards [4,820],31st in passing yards [3,552], 25th in rushing [1,734] while giving up a whopping 68 sacks [3rd most EVER].

    “That’s like getting kicked in the groin 68 times.”

    Detroit in ’24 ran the most plays under center [56%]. The Bears with Williams only 84 snaps out of 575 attempts. [Approx 14%].

    ’24 Detroit lead the league in PA 37%; Bears only PAed 18% [30th].

    PA should help the RBs accelerate and find lanes.

    Should be way more PS motion. “RCE – Recognize, communicate, execute”

    Caleb was off target 21% of passes [PFF]
    Esp deep. Completed 14/68 passes over 20 yds 23% [sic] My math computes 20.5%

    Of the 68 sacks, 28 of them Caleb held ball for over 5 secs.

    Dennis Allen will use a lot of exotic looks. Cover 1/2/3, pre/post coverages, CBs pressing, man, zero blitzes.

    Bears allowed 17.2 points in first seven games.

    Last ten games allowed 25.1 ppg.

    2,317 yds allowed [28th]. 4.8 rush avg allowed [29th].

    Edmunds youngest player [27] in NFL history to start 100 games. 100+ tackles in first seven seasons.

    “I think the Bears’ D fell off because Brisker was out. Reminds me of old Bears’ safety, Fencik, Plank…”

    [I suspect the running D went to shite after Big Billings went down].

    Tory Taylor broke Bears’ net-punting record – 41.6



  • Special Edition PT 2: “CTE Victim” Guns Down NFL Central

    Special Edition PT 2: “CTE Victim” Guns Down NFL Central

    I don’t know much about the gunman Shane Tamura. From what I gather, he was a ‘normal’ dude:
    “Now, his former teammates are speaking out after learning Tamura is accused of the killings.

    One teammate described Tamura as a “goofball.”

    Another, who didn’t want to be identified, said Tamura was a good guy.

    “He was a great teammate. He was a great guy in general. He didn’t cause any problems actually at all in the locker room or on the field,” he said. “He was just a guy who really enjoyed the sport, not problematic at all so when I found out the news, I was really shocked, I really couldn’t believe it.”

    There are also reports that one of Tamura’s parents may have been a retired Los Angeles Police Department member.”

    I don’t know how in roughly 9 years you go from THAT to this.

    Now, I know what the general reaction is

    ‘Oh, here we go again, making more excuses for scum…”

    But if you only take away ONE lesson from Butch, let it be this:

    The more science advances, the more causes [not excuses] are discovered.

    This might terrify some who TOTALLY believe in absolute free will, but you can’t WILL yourself out schizophrenia, borderline personality, dementia or Alzheimers.

    If you were to time travel to the medieval ages and yell, “Stop! She’s not a witch! She’s just a paranoid schizophrenic who needs meds!”

    They would burn YOU at the stake next to her.

    When I was in college, I read a story about Phineas Gage.

    Probably the most famous person to have survived severe damage to the brain. He is also the first patient from whom we learned something about the relation between personality and the function of the front parts of the brain[…]Some months after the accident [a rod through brain], probably in about the middle of 1849, Phineas felt strong enough to resume work. But because his personality had changed so much, the contractors who had employed him would not give him his place again. Before the accident he had been their most capable and efficient foreman, one with a well-balanced mind, and who was looked on as a shrewd smart business man. He was now, Harlow said, fitful, irreverent, and grossly profane, showing little deference for his fellows. He was also impatient and obstinate, yet capricious and vacillating, unable to settle on any of the plans he devised for future action. His friends said he was “No longer Gage.”

    So what happened to poor old Phineas? He just “decided”, coincidently, one day to totally devolve?

    No, much more likely is sections of the brain that contained parts of “Phineas” shot out of his skull with that rod never to return.

    It’s a bit macabre to think about, but we also see this in the lobotomized.

    You can’t just snap out of a lobotomy.

    It’s almost self-evident now that definite parts of the brain contain more than we assumed to the point where identities can alter drastically.

    And if I took ONE thing from Antonio Demasio’s book “Descartes’ Error,” it’s that a WHOLE LOT more ppl than imagined might be walking around with a degree of brain damage [insert jock, celebrity and politician joke here].

    If you google, “behavioral symptoms of CTE” this appears.

    Behavioral symptoms of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) can include aggression, impulsivity, depression, anxiety, mood swings, and personality changes. These symptoms can significantly impact an individual’s behavior and relationships. Additionally, some individuals may experience suicidal thoughts or engage in erratic behavior

    And as we have sadly seen in Junior Seau, Dave Duerson, et al, CTE can indeed change a person irrevocably and tragically.

    Or as the NYT wrote:

    What scientists — from such diverse fields as psychiatry, neurology and substance use — can say is that the arrows seem to be pointing in the same direction. A number of brain states raise the risk of acting out violently, and the evidence so far, while incomplete, suggests that C.T.E. may be one of them.

    Dr. Samuel Gandy, director of the N.F.L. neurology program at Mount Sinai Medical Center, said his research showed that rage and irritability “are far and away the most prominent symptoms” among former players with likely C.T.E.

    The tricky part comes when crime enters the formula as with Aaron Hernandez, Kellen Winslow and possibly Shane Tamura as correlation may not equal causation.

    A combination of photos showing sections from a normal brain, top, and from the brain of former University of Texas football player Greg Ploetz, bottom, who had Stage IV chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or C.T.E. An autopsy of former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez revealed severe C.T.E.
    Credit…Ann Mckee/Boston University, via Associated Press

    So where does this leave us as football fans?

    Well, pretty fucking confused since many of us aren’t neurologists, psychiatrists, biologists or epistemologists, and even they’re still sorting it out.

    As of now, we don’t even know if the gunman actually suffered from severe CTE while the NFL is trying to paint him as a barking moon lunatic.

    However, for a nut, Tamura sure found a rather NICHE cause to fly over the coocoo’s nest, and given some previous social media posts from him, he had to devolve relatively quickly.

    I suppose I’ll just keep my antenna up on the subject and see where it goes. It could lead me to sadly quit watching the NFL if the data keeps getting worse.

    However, medicine advances at seemingly warp-speed; maybe science finds a way to mitigate, or drastically minimize, concussions and CTE.

    So for now, I’ll crack open some beers and root for Da Bears to lay clean rib-crushing hits.

    Hey, at least I’m not watching bum fights or betting on FanDuel for this…

  • Special Edition PT 1: “CTE Victim” Guns Down NFL Central

    Special Edition PT 1: “CTE Victim” Guns Down NFL Central

    I told myself I wasn’t going to post political or social issues here.

    It seems a little self-indulgent for the head of a football blog.

    Besides, that’s why the comments exist.

    However, this isn’t ‘just another school/walmart/church/concert shooting’.

    [How fucked up is this country to be thinking that way?]

    This shooter deliberately targeted 345 Park Avenue, i.e., NFL Headquarters.

    This shooting is football and NFL related as the motive is preliminarily cited as CTE.

    More specifically.

    NEW YORK (AP) — A gunman who killed four people at a Manhattan office building before killing himself claimed in a note to have a brain disease linked to contact sports and was trying to target the National Football League’s headquarters but took the wrong elevator, officials said Tuesday.

    Furthermore, the assailant played football at Granada Hills, maybe a 30 minute drive from L.A., so it hits close to home.

    Needless to say, condolences to the victim’s family, friends and community, but refraining ‘condolences’ and ‘prayers’ for the Ntheen fucking time feels empty and frankly self-serving.

    So here we are – AGAIN – with a myriad of emotions.

    And the bigger question: what can we do about it?

    Well, I’m not going to pretend I can solve everything. Honestly, I’m torn on the gun issue.

    Here’s my stream-of-thought inner debate when a shooting occurs.

    ‘Fuck. AGAIN – who are these sick cucks!?’

    ‘There’s gotta be a way to stop this’

    ‘Take away the guns’

    ‘oh yeah, well EVERY government has eventually turned on its own ppl. Taiwanese would probably like to own some ARs for when the Chinese come a-knocking’

    ‘yeah, like ARs are going to do much against Apaches, state of the art drones, artillery, 4rth gen jets, satellites, aircraft carriers, and a co-ordinate professional military’

    ‘AKs beat the U.S. in Nam…’

    ‘This ain’t Nam, and it ain’t 1968’

    ‘True. Those gangsters down the street strapping and staring me down wouldn’t mind if I can’t legally buy a gun cuz their AK is hot anyways’

    And round and round we go… at the end of the day, it’s just more cold bodies, warm tears, and a societal sense of numbness, futility and failure.

    If you don’t recognize the man above, I can’t say I blame you.

    Yet he’s the Dr. who the NFL tried to ruin because of his research on Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) which the NFL, much like Big Tobacco, KNEW was far more dangerous than they admitted publicly.

    “After Omalu published his findings, league doctors assailed his research — even going so far as to issue a letter calling for a retraction. Omalu said he was stunned to learn about the demand, afraid his career was coming to an end. He poured himself a shot of Johnnie Walker Red and “just gulped it down” before reading the letter.” – PBS

    Dr. Bennett Omalu even had Will Smith play him in “Concussion.”

    The NFL considered Omalu an existential threat:

    “The doctor’s response, according to Omalu: “He said, ‘Your work suggests or is suggesting or is proving that football is a dangerous sport, and that if 10 percent of mothers in this country would begin to perceive football as a dangerous sport, that is the end of football.’” – PBS

    Most of us know the gist of the NFL trying to bury the CTE consequences, but in short

    It was evil.

    Just like Big Tobacco.

    The NFL hacks sold their Hippocratic oath for 30 pieces of silver, vacations and country club memberships.

    Though if you want a refresher, check out the doc:

    League of Denial: the NFL’s Concussion Crisis

    It was a punt return. Our backup center/long snapper somehow broke free like a cheetah in the Serengeti, or more accurately, like the freaking Juggernaut.

    The punt returner made a move then bolted.

    Craaaaaackkkk

    Everyone collectively gasped, “ooooooooh…”

    You can hear that collision in the nosebleeds.

    It’s the type of hit that gets everyone amped and used to make the ESPN highlight reels.

    Then our teammate began jogging to the sideline.

    THEIR sideline.

    You can see them initially confused, then start waving at him, pointing to us.

    He stops for a second or two, then does a 180.

    Right away our coaching staff knew.

    The assistant coach [not a Dr.] began asking him questions.

    “Do you know where you are?”

    “Do you know your name?”

    “Do you know your birthday?”

    “Follow finger…”

    You can see the visible frustration in his glazed eyes. The hamster wheel in his brain was spinning but going nowhere.

    He KNEW he knew the answers to the questions yet couldn’t answer.

    He kept muttering, “Fuck. Fuck.” disappointed in himself, likely terrified.

    —

    Oddly enough, I’ve seen nearly this exact same reaction before – in a car accident.

    That was the first time I can remember [or not] losing consciousness. One second I was waving goodbye to a girl from the back seat.

    Next second I wake up with 3 other ppl in the truck groaning with the driver still out.

    I shook everyone and told them to get out. I had no idea if we were trapped, or if the truck was on fire, or what. I just saw the hood of the car was crunched like a candy wrapper.

    The driver took longer as he was beyond dazed.

    Apparently I had flown and cracked the windshield with the back of my head which ended up needing stitches.

    The paramedics arrived and asked the driver basically the same questions as the coach.

    Place – name – DOB…

    Similar reaction as our Center: blank stare. Searching eyes. Exasperation almost to point of tears.

    They wrapped us in neck-braces, loaded us on gurneys and ambulanced us to the hospital.
    ——
    Our center/long-snapper was pulled for the game.

    Come Monday, he was back at practice ramming his helmet in Oline drills considering himself “lucky” he didn’t suffer any “real” injury.

    In high school, he was pretty square. Not a nerd or soft, just meat and potatoes with a side of feisty like most centers. I was probably a bigger fuckup than him at that point – flunking classes, wearing torn jeans against dress code, hitting up ditching parties, beer runs, etc.

    Years after high school, I heard he got into some trouble. Rumors of violence and prison.

    Sometimes, I wonder…







  • PFF Grades the Bears Oline as #4. No, you’re not high, you read that right

    PFF Grades the Bears Oline as #4. No, you’re not high, you read that right

    Pro Football Focus [PFF] seems to be omnipresent when discussing the NFL nowadays. For some reason, humans crave an ‘objective’ framework from which to interpret life. Something ‘outside ourselves’ to course-correct what our senses are inputting. What do you think the 10 commandments are?

    The general public assumes that René Descartes concluded, “Cogito, ergo sum” [I think, therefore I am], but actually, he proclaimed, “Dubito, ergo cogito, ergo sum” [I DOUBT, therefore I think, therefore I am]. Something to ponder.

    I envision Descartes staring intently into the flame of his candle, emersed in total darkness, desperately fumbling for some objective proof, a Mathematical God, some Unmoved Mover, to save him from his Evil Genius, to slip him the red pill to awaken from the Matrix…us football fans must settle for PFF.

    So here’s PFF grading the entire league. If you want to skip to the Bears’ portion, fast forward ≈1hr1min

    Shout out to Bodhran:

    https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-2025-nfl-offensive-line-rankings

    Some thoughts…

    A scout relayed that he graded an olinemen low coming out of college. Then that Olinemen ends up on the Peyton Colts; he mutters, “Fuck. now I’m going to look stupid when he makes the PB.”

    The Bears oline talent is now sufficient. It takes years of a smart GM [which Bears don’t currently employ] to properly get return on investment in the trenches. Ryan Poles had to apply some Gorilla Glue to patch up the gigantic holes he created through ineptitude.

    That being said, like the scout expressed anecdotally.

    1. A smart QB can make the oline look a lot better than it otherwise might be

    2. A creative HC/OC can scheme around weaknesses [basically do the opposite of what Mike Martz tried with Webbnation]

    3. A talented HB can hit the optimum holes and/or break tackles

    Unfortunately, we don’t quite know if we have a smart QB, HC/OC, and Bears definitely don’t roster an elite HB [NTM it’s a brand new scheme], so for this Oline to dramatically improve, mucho must synergize [including staying healthy].

    But hey, tis the off-season of hopium.

    EDIT. I’m burying the lead as the Bears unwisely extended Ryan Poles‘ contract. That will get its own post soon, but for now, I can characterize how I feel about the move through a flick I’m watching for the 100th time. Halas plays the German Soldier while Bear fans are Mellish…

    “Gib’ auf, du hast keine chance. Lass’ es uns beenden. Es ist einfacher für dich, viel einfacher. Du wirst sehen, es ist gleich vorbei.”

    Translates to:

    “Give up, you don’t stand a chance. Let’s end this here. It will be easier for you, much easier. You’ll see, it will be over quickly.”

  • Barroom talks Bears’ D and misc

    Barroom talks Bears’ D and misc

    Greg Gabriel examines the Bears’ D while Aldo updates us on basically everything.

    NFL may have blocked them from embedding, so click here if can’t click below.


    Few points stood out:

    #1. Gabriel states he’d cut anyone who reports out of shape [who is healthy].

    I tend to agree. You got ONE job. Well, maybe more, but staying in shape is #1.

    #2. OK [for now] about the 2nd rounders not signing. Pick #33 and #34 have signed getting four years guaranteed. Gabriel thinks Luther Burden MIGHT get a fully guaranteed contract, but doubts that the later 2nd rounders Ozzy Trapilo and Shemar Turner get same deal. It could be a tiered result. “I’m not worried about it until they don’t show up when the vets must report.”

    #3. Tremaine Edmunds might play some WLB which Gabriel contends might suit him better. Only thing I can think is that Flus wanted his Lach gobbling up passing lanes in the middle while Dennis Allen might prefer a more attacking MLB.

    #4. Za’Darious Smith and Matthew Judon are essentially the same DEs. Would be solid depth, but shouldn’t get more than a 1-yr deal.

    #5. Xavier Carlton doesn’t impress Gabriel. He likes fast players. Carlton runs a 5.05 forty which doesn’t bode well for specials

    #6. Doesn’t seem too concerned about the safeties. Doesn’t believe the Bears are as shallow as some fans may feel. Basically mirrors Poles’ nonchalant attitude on the position. Guess both assume safety is relatively easy to replace in this system.

    #7. Doesn’t know if Gervon Dexter will take the next step, but Gabriel knows he’s a legit football player who takes his body and career seriously [Can’t say the same about Zacch Pickens]. Not sold Dexter could play DE. Supposedly Allen shut the door on that option, paraphrasing, ‘Dexter needs to first learn how to play inside before even thinking about moving outside.’ Aldo was surprised as am I since I figured Allen would have no issue moving em around, but perhaps he’ll be more strategic about it.

    #8. Shemar Turner reminds Gabriel of…wait for it…Tommie Harris. Wow. I didn’t see that first step explosion, but I guess he does. Let’s hope Turner is another [healthy] T-Harris.

    #9. Bears’ CB should play more press. We all know this already, but I for one am thrilled I am no longer going to see our CBs give 5 yard cushions for WRs to do whatever the fuck they want. Hit em in the mouth like Peanut did. Make those speedy little suckers earn it.

    #10. Acknowledges many fans want to give Das Boot to Tyrique Stevenson, but he’s still better than Terrell Smith behind him. Wonders if Terrell Smith can play man-press. Hope so because I’m one of those fans who wants that knuckle-head gone; though if he turns it around, good on him.

    Still, Chicago has a VERY long memory.
    Just ask Cody Parkey, Conte or Steve Bartman…

  • Bears sign UDFA DE Xavier Carlton

    Bears sign UDFA DE Xavier Carlton

    Signing a UDFA this late into camp likely isn’t going to turn many heads, but hey, it’s a Bear move and piques my interest. He’s not a RAS champ, that’s for sure, but at 6’5, 273 with 34″ arms, gives something Dennis Allen can mold.

    Here’s some pertinent twits on him:

    Here’s Slim Sports interviewing Xavier Carlton