New Food at Soldier Field, the Alabama Standard, Piñeiro’s Place, Preparing for Week 1, and Other Bullets

If you’re going to Soldier Field this year, be sure to bring an appetite because there are new things to try not he menu.

Check it out:

The folks at WGN took a look at two new sandwiches that are exclusive to Soldier Field for the Bears’ centennial season. One is a spiced-up Sloppy Joe known as the “Hot Bob.” Have you ever wanted a Sloppy Joe made with ghost pepper and topped with fried onions? Of course you have. There is also a sandwich called the “Lake Shore Drive Hoagie” that will be filled with corned beef, Italian beef, gyro meat, giardiniera, tzatziki sauce, lettuce, onions, and tomatoes. Hold the tomato, please.

Now that I’ve driven your appetite, let’s address your hunger for football.

Anthony Miller seems confident that his ankle injury is a thing of the past:

Bears WR Anthony Miller tells us he will be ready for Week 1 — no question.

— Jeff Dickerson (@DickersonESPN) August 26, 2019

Miller has been out since early August because of an ankle injury suffered during the last public training camp practice at Bourbonnais. Odds are that Miller would have been held out of preseason games, but I’m still a bit uneasy about how much practice time he has missed this season. Remember, Miller was sidelined for OTAs because he was recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. But because Miller was a student of the game while he was on the sideline who was literally looking over Matt Nagy’s shoulder during practices, maybe things will turn out to be alright.

Eddy Piñeiro is on a hot streak. Piñeiro has made five consecutive field goals and looks likely to be the Bears’ Week 1 kicker in 2019. But as Larry Mayer (ChicagoBears.com) points out, anything can happen between now and the start of the season. Having leg strength is a big plus working in Piñeiro’s favor, but he needs to double up on strong performances to really seal the deal. I bet making a 58-yarder outdoors at Soldier Field on Thursday would go a long way toward securing his spot.

The bar is set high when you play for the Crimson Tide:

Six years since college and Bears S Ha Ha Clinton-Dix still feels like he's gotta live up to the Alabama standard. He says he and Eddie Jackson hold each other accountable because, "We know the program we came from and what the expectations are for us.”

— Jason Lieser (@JasonLieser) August 26, 2019

Deon Bush has played really well this preseason, which somehow raises my expectations for Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. Because of his experience in Green Bay and Washington, as well as his prospect pedigree as a standout member of Alabama’s secondary, the bar is high for Clinton-Dix entering this season. So even though he might not have lived up to the expectations of Packers fans, perhaps playing alongside a first-team All-Pro safety (and fellow Crimson Tide product) Eddie Jackson will lift his game to another level.

I probably should’ve rolled the dice on drafting David Montgomery:

Since we began tracking college players in 2014, only twice has a running back eclipsed 100 missed tackles forced in a single season.

Both times it was by David Montgomery, in 2017 (109) and 2018 (102).

— PFF Fantasy Football (@PFF_Fantasy) August 26, 2019

Vacuums, power washers, blenders, and more are your Deals of the Day at Amazon today.

NFL kickoff is Robbie Gould days away, and Steve Miller (WBBM Newsradio) the Bears are doing their part to remind you that paper tickets are a thing of the past. Which also allows me to take a moment to remind you not to buy fake tickets from scalpers because the last thing you want is totally fake tickets ruining your football experience.

Are you going to opening night? A Mini-Madden 20 Tournament will be part of the Kickoff Experience at Grant Park on September 5. It’s a free event celebrating the kickoff of the NFL’s centennial season. And if you stick around, the Bears-Packers game will be broadcast around the park on 17-foot screens. Sounds like fun for everyone.

If you’re working (or traveling) downtown next week, you’ll want to keep an eye open for street closures, detours, and alternate routes near Grant Park.

Khalil Mack at 100/1 to win the NFL MVP is still tantalizing as heck:

Our disclaimers for the #MVP proposition. pic.twitter.com/Pi50cjmWGH

— SuperBookUSA (@SuperBookUSA) August 26, 2019

I plan on clearing some time to read this:

Known for his brashness, Steve McMichael gets reflective when talking about kids' autograph requests going unfulfilled.

"It was the worst I ever felt about myself."@danwiederer unpacks the life of the former Bears defensive lineman: https://t.co/MAlZkchlSz pic.twitter.com/olxAU2KOie

— Chicago Tribune Sports (@ChicagoSports) August 27, 2019

The Bears are going to be well-represented on NBC’s Sunday Night Football intro video:

Mitchell Trubisky, Khalil Mack and Kyle Fuller are among 13 NFL players featured in this year’s @SNFonNBC open with Carrie Underwood. They filmed it at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. #Bears

— Adam Hoge (@AdamHoge) August 26, 2019

ESPN’s Dan LeBatard came through with some strong perspective on Andrew Luck’s retirement:

Dan had some thoughts on Andrew Luck's retirement that we thought were worth sharing. pic.twitter.com/K5iInrOJ3A

— Highly Questionable (@HQonESPN) August 26, 2019

Rob Gronkowski didn’t close the door on the possibility of an NFL return, but it sure sounds like the former Patriots tight end is in a good place now that he is out of the game. Pro Football Talk’s Josh Alper catches up with Gronk as he pivots toward advocacy for players in professional sports leagues to use CBD products as a method of pain relief. Life after football can be a challenge, but it would be neat if players leaving the game early with eyes on helping those still in the struggle turned out to be something that helped the game move along.

This is the only time we’ll see the Dolphins and Super Bowl LIV mentioned in the same breath this year:

Super Bowl practice run for Fox at Dolphins' preseason game.

by @steve_wine https://t.co/wMbZ2dZRdt

— AP NFL (@AP_NFL) August 27, 2019

Four of the five teams who held out their starting quarterback throughout the preseason made the playoffs. As you well know, one of those teams was the Bears.

For the fashionably inclined football fan:

Wardrobe check: The @Titans will be decked out in white jerseys with navy blue britches in Thursday night's preseason finale vs. the @ChicagoBears. pic.twitter.com/VkK8rkRews

— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) August 27, 2019

I know better than to hold out hope that anything will come from this immediately, but hope is all we have at this point:

NFL and NFLPA are meeting today in Chicago. Quick notes on that …

• A smaller group — Roger Goodell, De Smith, Eric Winston, John Mara, plus staff — met last night.
• Bigger group convening today.
• Revenue split, 18 games at issue.
• Players see Mara as a key moderate.

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) August 27, 2019