When I’m truly struggling with an idea, I break out a pen (or pencil, whichever is closest to me), a blank sheet of paper and start physically writing them as I speak them out loud. It’s easy to get super comfortable typing on a computer, but I’ve found that sometimes putting pencil (or pen) to paper really helps the ideas flow. Try it some time if your brain needs a jolt.
Gosh, I’m excited about what Allen Robinson can do in Year 2 of this offense:
Robinson caught 55 passes, racked up 754 yards, and hauled in four touchdowns in his first year with the Bears. Those numbers aren’t eye opening, and some might even consider them to be disappointing. But Robinson did more than what his numbers suggest. Robinson’s presence drew extra attention from defensive coordinators and had teams shifting coverages in his direction. He ran every route in the book from everywhere on the field, making him someone who could create a mismatch on any given snap. And when Mitch Trubisky needed him the most, Robinson played his best in the postseason. Now that a rapport has been built and Trubisky has confidence in Robinson, those two guys should go off and do something special in 2019.
How would you respond if I put down 70.5 catches, 999.5 yards, and 5.5 touchdowns as overs-and-unders totals for Robinson’s 2019 season? Where are you going over? Any numbers inspiring you to take the under? I like to root for things when I wager, so I’ll take the over on all of the above. Let’s be bold!
I love that Bears DBs can run routes better than some of the receivers they’re assigned to cover:
Those ball-hawking skills need to be on display early and often in 2019. The Bears play five games against four of the 10 highest-ranked quarterbacks entering this season, per Pro Football Focus.
Very cool to see the Bears link up with heir fans in Decatur, where the franchise was born:
https://twitter.com/ChicagoBears/status/1153657571984715776
If you’ve ever wondered why the Bears’ mascot is named Staley, Chairman George McCaskey has an answer for you (via the Bears’ official site).
Not at it’s a surprise to see the Bears on a list of most valuable franchises in sports, but sometimes you have to write about the obvious stuff anyway. Forbes’ most valuable franchises in sports features the Bears tied for 19th (with of all teams, the Chicago Bulls). Chicago’s football team is valued at $2.9 billion with an operating income of $100 million. It’s a 2 percent increase from last year, and while I’m no economist, I’m curious how much of that had to do with the Khalil Mack effect. I mean, is there anything that guy can’t do?
A Bears legend is moving from the playing field to the broadcast booth. New York Post media insider Andrew Marchand reports the ex-NFL quarterback has retired to take a job at ESPN talking college football. Sanchez — who took the Jets to the AFC Championship Game in each of his first two seasons — will take over for Mack Brown, who returned to the coaching ranks to take over at North Carolina. As if the World Wide Leader didn’t have enough talking heads discussing football. I wonder if he’ll have an opportunity to link up with former boss John Fox while he is there?
No matter what you say about Sanchez’s career, his time in Chicago was an undeniable net positive:
Sanchez didn’t play a snap for the 2017 Bears, but his presence was important in the growth and grooming of Mitch Trubisky. Here is something we wrote about Sanchez when the Bears were exploring their backup quarterback options in 2018: “Sanchez served as Mitch Trubisky’s mentor/hype man/de facto position coach/aide/confidant/sounding board (I think you get the picture) in 2017, which was similar to the role he played for Dak Prescott with the Dallas Cowboys in 2016. Prescott gushed about Sanchez’s presence as a teammate and there’s no doubt there was value in the veteran bringing that kind of energy to Chicago.” Thanks for the memories, Mark!
Some candid commentary from Northwestern football coach (and one-time Packers coaching candidate) Pat Fitzgerald:
https://twitter.com/thecoachtube/status/1153064705164042241
To be fair, Fitzgerald isn’t wrong. All of us (no matter the age or generation) have become ridiculously attached to our phones. But as for his college football attendance issues, let the record show his school isn’t alone in feeling the tech drain. There is bound to be a solution that satisfies all parties here, and I fully expect someone to find it. After all, we’re talking about Northwestern brainiacs here!
Here is a headline I didn’t think I’d read about a Major League Baseball player who is in his fifth year as a pro: Addison Russell Says He Needs to “Become More Familiar With the Signs.”
I’m not even sure what the football equivalent to that would be and struggle to come up with a comp. Imagine a quarterback needing to “become more familiar” with play calls in the huddle. Or a receiver who doesn’t know the routes he needs to run. Sometimes signals get crossed or missed and it’s a blip on the radar. “Stuff happens!” But this seems far worse than something minor. Yikes!
NEWSLETTER
