Da Dos

Tag: Tyrique Stevenson

  • Bears Sign C.J. Gardner Johnson

    Bears Sign C.J. Gardner Johnson

    Yes, THAT C.J. Gardner-Johnson. Besides Javon Wimms punching him, C.J. also got the immortal Anthony Miller ejected from a playoff game.

    C.J. Gardner-Johnson most definitely has been productive when on the field.

    He’s big [5’11, 210], long and rangy. Still relatively young [27]. Versatile: can cover, tackle, blitz – play FS, CB, and NB. This helps with the uncertainty of both Kyler Gordon and Tyrique Stevenson [NTM J.J.]. Playing for Dennis Allen on the Saints also greatly expedites his learning curve which is, uhhhmm, about 4 days.

    He absolutely contributed to the Eagles’ SB run; they still love him in Philly [fits right in], but now C.J. has become a journeyman, and it isn’t for lack of talent, so what gives?

    Character flags.

    He’s a mouthy agitator on the field, and who the hell knows what off it, but Allen [who greenlit drafting him] and Ben Johnson apparently believe they can manage him.

    I like this signing. It’s a high upside-immediate need move that didn’t cost any draft capital or major cap.

    If C.J. wears out his welcome in a month, well, hopefully by then Stevenson and Gordon are healthy.

    This also is more evidence that B.J. seems more in charge of roster build than Ryan Poles. As we all know, most Bear GMs only want Boy Scouts. Now, this could simply be ‘any swinging d*%k’ desperation at DB, but it could foreshadow that future Bears may not have to be Ned Flanders.

    In addition Bears signed DE Jonathan Garvin to PS [probably because Shemar Turner was put on IR with a torn ACL while Dominque Robinson is sidelined for a few weeks with a high-ankle strain].

    Garvin’s 6’4, 257, 26 yrs old and was the 242nd overall pick in ’20.

    Chicago signed native CB Dallis Flowers. 6’1, 196, UFDA, 28 who also returns kicks [ran a 4.43].

    TE Steven Carlson [mostly a blocking TE/FB] also back.

    Overtime:

    ‘Caleb won’t bust. He’s too talented for that. The bigger fear is that he turns into Kyler Murray or Trevor Lawrence – a QB who fails to live up to expectations but still starts. A guy who’s going to cost $45M/yr to be the 15th best QB’ – Danny Parkins

    I honestly don’t know what’s the best solution to get Caleb Williams out of this funk. Y’all know my M.O.

    Sit them as rooks for as long as humanly possible, preferably a whole year like Mahomes. Needless to say, this assumes competent coaching and continuity which Poles failed to provide Caleb.

    However, plenty of QBs who started day 1 have prospered [Peyton, Burrow, et al], so playing through the rough times is equally viable.

    I sorta suspect the benching Caleb so he can learn ship has sailed [like his accuracy. Zing!]

    In for a penny, in for a pound, comes to mind.

    That being said, if B.J. decides Caleb needs to sit for a few games, then fine. For those arguing Caleb can’t learn anything from a brief sabbatical or a younger player, Sam Darnold partially credited his turn-around to learning from a younger Brock Purdy, specifically about being more of a point-guard as opposed to an ESPN highlight. Sound familiar?

    Most likely outcome will be Caleb keeps taking his lumps and hopefully progressing.

    Either way, I just want Caleb to ball.
    It would suck major azz to know Maye, Daniels and Bo were better options.

    Helllllooo drafting Cendrunk instead of Rodgers, Trubisky over Mahomes….

    With that in mind

  • Revenge: CHI@WASH MNF WK6

    Revenge: CHI@WASH MNF WK6

    We all know the narrative. Bears blow a victory vs WASH last year in catastrophic fashion thxs to Matt Eberflus dumbfuckery and Tyrique Stevenson yapping with the crowd.

    Bears enter death spiral that results in the first Bears’ HC to ever be fired midseason making Caleb Williams shuffle through 3 OCs in his rookie season.

    Meanwhile Jayden Daniels catapults to OROY, carrying his team to the playoffs amid media hype.

    Many pundits preseason were predicting the Bears to be a ‘surprise playoff team’, but Washington stole their Cinderella slippers that day.

    On the bright side, it was such a colossal disaster that it was enough for even the milk toast McCaskeys to show some balls and fire Eberflus.

    Although in typical timid Halas fashion, it still somehow wasn’t enough to terminate the GM who hired that HC [and vouched for him]because…Bears.

    So we know what’s at stake. This isn’t just another game. It’s nearly symbolic and a true measure of how far the Bears have really progressed since that fateful Hail Mary.

    What needs to happen:

    Well, once more, this isn’t rocket, or even rock ’em-sock’ em robot science.

    The Commies are the best running team.

    As I wrote on Tues.

    Bears’ avg 102.3 YPG [24rth]; however, when one slices out the Caleb scrambles it leaves RBs: 3.4 YPC, 2 TDs.

    Meanwhile, the Commanders: 156.4 YPG [1st].

    On D, the Bears are giving up a whopping 164.5 YPG [31st].

    Ergo. STOP THE RUN.

    Or at the very least slow it down! This won’t be easy. Jayden Daniels can freeze the LBs opening up lanes for Bill Croskey-Merritt who is having a heck of a rookie campaign. I caught some of him, and he resembles Ashton Jeanty in that he’s shifty with zip.

    Friendly reminder, Poles drafted Kyle Monangai [233rd] while Croskey-Merritt was selected 12 spots after. Fans dreaming about trading for Breece Hall or De’Von Achane when Poles could’ve just drafted Merritt straight up. Thanks, Poles.

    Luckily for the Bears, T.J. Edwards and Kyler “Spider-Man” Gordon are projected back. Maybe they help. It’s important to remember that nickel in today’s NFL is basically the new SAM, as such, expected to make tough tackles in space. For the Bears’ sake, Gordon [and Austin Booker] return hungry.

    As a Bears’ fan, my first instinct is to establish the run and keep ramming it down their throats. That simply isn’t feasible with this Poles’ roster. More realistically, Ben Johnson will have to pass to open up some lanes for the run as WASH struggles to defend the pass and employs a ton of zone.

    Caleb Williams seems to excel vs zone, so chunk plays must be made. First downs can’t be missed; they will act as the defacto run game to keep WASH off the field and hopefully playing from behind. It’s not ideal. Much more can go wrong, from pre-snap penalties, drop passes, wrong routes, to sailing balls, blown up screens, jumped passes and strip sacks, but that’s what happens when a team can’t run.

    Outside a slew of Bear-forced TOs, Commanders self-sabotaging, or crazy plays like blocked FGs, muffed returns, etc… this is likely the best path for the Bears to serve the chilly dish of revenge and finally bury that infamous debacle.

    King Benny didn’t take it lying down and neither should the BJ Bears. Bang! Bang!

  • Misc

    Misc

    Despite being an English/Lit major, I never really thrived under the ‘thesis-driven’ paradigm that monopolizes nearly all academia [Thanks, Hegel].

    I’m much jazzier and found my best writing often emerges from inspiration to free form. Then later, I chisel it down.

    “To write is to rewrite” ― Carlos Ruiz Zafón

    Performing and reading adds another layer, and for any aspiring writer I recommend taking an acting class even if you never plan on acting. It’ll give a writer a more holistic understanding of the creative process and possibilities of the ‘product’.

    A bonus is that after spending a semester or two around aspiring actors, everyone else seems fucking sane.

    So, here’s some mishmash.

    Ozzy Trapilo snaps.
    Can also check out Benedet.

    Butch take. Neither Trapilo nor Benedet looked Kiran-esque. Trapilo specifically showed a decent side-step and solid anchor. Doesn’t seem to have the athleticism of Braxton exploding to the 2nd lvl, but few OTs do.

    Benedet to me doesn’t seem as strong, but perhaps a bit more nimble. It’s important to remember that Benedet’s arms are 32.5″. Not many PB LTs are T-rexes. I suppose we can pray to the T-Rex Saint Joe Staley [33.5″].

    Perhaps more interesting though is that Ben Johnson had the cajones to basically debut two rooks [a UFDA and a 3rd RDer no less] at new positions while Mad Maxx was doing his best Cocaine Bear impression.

    The experiment could’ve easily exploded, but it worked. When was the last time a starter was straight benched mid-game? Fuck, Smoking Jay pushed WebbNation in primetime, and he still wasn’t bench; the switching was part of the adjustments that saved the game while simultaneously sending a message to the locker-room:

    You’re next.

    We all know the Bears’ D is struggling mightily vs run, and this play illustrates why.

    The pass-rush has also flopped. Is Sweat still on the team?

    Nevertheless, they did create 4 TOs, and made two key stops. One on 4rth and short [granted, Raiders decided simply to olé Billings] and the other forcing Raiders to settle for FG late [a dropped pass helped].

    Meanwhile, Tyrique Stevenson, everyone’s favorite anti-hero [pro-villain?], has been on fire.

    On specials, the gunning still looks iffy. They almost lost the game by allowing the Raiders’ KR to near the 40 – a first down away from FG range.

    Fortunately, they were bailed out by Josh Blockwell. Turns out, he didn’t get lucky though.

    This reminds me of when Belichick prepped his team about a certain slant SEA runs. Then, in the biggest play of SB XLIX, the CB jumps it, INT – Red, White and Blue confetti.

    Or more recently, just last season when the Puke noticed how the triangle leaves a gap, charged, blocked the FG. Game. Puke.

    It’s rare for the Bears to be on the other side of tactical strikes. Feels great, builds confidence and wins games.

    Walk like an Egyptian…

    Random silliness.

    I guess the media gave BJ some guff about his in-game interview, but I thought it was funny. A snarky Chicago coach? [clutches pearls…]

    I don’t know who this dude is, but I pray to all that is holy that Halas gives him an open tryout for HB…

    And, just because…I love the smell of fresh dilithium in the morning…