Someone foolishly dropped Bears tight end Trey Burton before his breakout performance on Sunday, and seeing that I had a major need at the position, I figured a strong waiver bid would tie up loose ends. Unfortunately, I woke up Wednesday morning to find out Burton wasn’t on my roster. How could this be? It turns out that someone else made the same $20 bid I did, but was higher on the priority list. So not only do I go into Week 8 of the fantasy football end without Burton, my two highest scoring players (Julio Jones and Melvin Gordon) are on bye. I hate fantasy football.
(Michael: My fantasy football team has scored the third most points in the league, but has BY FAR the most points against (50+ more against me than even the second team on the list!). And, so, I’m nearly in last place. I also hate fantasy football.)
From a happier fantasy perspective, Scott Barrett of Pro Football Focus highlights Tarik Cohen’s excellence out of the Bears’ backfield. Cohen is making the most out of his opportunities, many of which are coming in a wide receiver type of role. Cohen has run 22 routes lined up as a wide receiver and is averaging 49.3 air yards per game, according to PFF’s metrics. Matt Nagy has sent Cohen onto the field for 43.5 percent of the offensive snaps, which represents a seven percentage-point increase from his rookie season. It’s almost as if good things tend to happen when your most explosive players are on the field.
Seriously, this seems good:
RB @TarikCohen has recorded 414 all-purpose yards over the past three games and ranks fourth among NFL running backs with 328 receiving yards this season. He also leads all NFL running backs with four catches of at least 25 yards.
Because Cohen has done a ton of damage whenever he touches the pigskin, there have been fewer big-play occasions for teammate Jordan Howard. It’s been a disappointing start for Howard, who figured to have a bigger say in the offense since he has shown an improved ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. Howard isn’t taking advantage of his overall lead in the snap share, averaging a career-worst 3.5 yards per carry. It’s the second straight year Howard’s yards per attempt has taken a dive, so I suppose it makes sense Cohen is getting more opportunities than he did last year. But still … at some point, No. 24 needs to get it in gear if the Bears are going to wake up from their recent slumber.
The Bears’ run-blocking hasn’t been that big of a problem. Trey Burton has the third best run-block grade among tight ends, Charles Leno Jr. ranks 17th among 74 offensive tackles as a run-blocker, and Cody Whitehair checks in as the 10th highest-graded run-blocker by PFF’s grading scale. There are good things happening here and maybe it’s just a matter of time before Howard gets it going again.
(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune writes that it’s unfair to pin the blame solely on Howard. A successful rushing attack is a team effort that starts with game-planning and play-calling and needs effective blocking up front before the running back even gets the ball in his hands. Hopefully, Mitch Trubisky’s three consecutive 300-yard passing games will loosen up the defense and clear the way for Howard to get some more successful touches.
OK, so Trubisky wouldn’t have crossed the 300-yard passing threshold had it not been for Kevin White’s Hail Mary snag. Which rekindles one final thought regarding that Patriots loss – why didn’t the Bears throw the Hail Mary play before halftime? Patrick Finley of the Sun-Times gets an explanation from the Bears’ head coach, and it’s a logical one. The Bears were really in a no-win situation. My gut was telling me the Bears should have tried a 58-yard field goal, but the numbers suggest that’s not quite in Cody Parkey’s range, and my head knows that he just missed a 53-yard game-winner a week ago. Maybe the hook-and-lateral will be available next time.
Over at 670 The Score, Greg Gabriel wonders if there should be a heightened level of concern regarding the Bears’ defense. Sure, the Patriots scored only 24 points on the Bears last week. That’s a better showing than what went down the prior week against Miami, but it doesn’t take into consideration the possessions New England lost with a special teams fumble, two special teams touchdowns, and two turnovers. Things could’ve been worse than they were.
Despite its recent struggles, the Bears’ defense still has its moments:
This is cool: Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic catches up with Blake Annen, Nathan Vasher, and Johnny Knox, who are coaching high school football for Carmel in suburban Mundelein. Vasher and Knox are higher-profile names who Bears fans have fond memories of from their playing days, but Annen’s story is the most intriguing one because his path isn’t the one you would expect to lead to where he is now. You’ll want to clear some time to read Fishbain’s piece.
Luis C. Medina, who you can find on Twitter at lcm1986, has been covering the Chicago Bears at Bleacher Nation since 2017. Since then, he has written about 3 head coaches, 5 play-callers, and 11 starting quarterbacks. Previously, Luis wrote about the Cubs and MLB at BN (2015-16) and worked in the Chicago Tribune sports department (2011-16). He also co-hosted a Cubs postgame show, Outside the Ivy, in 2019.
I was rounding up this morning's set of Bears Bullets when I saw this note from the Chicago Tribune's Dan Wiederer on rookie wide receiver Rome Odunze sitting out Saturday's practice with hamstring tightness and I knew I had to...
It's Mother's Day today. And while my mother passed away in 2017, I try to use this day to remember and honor her memory. Do something nice for the moms in your life today. You only get one. Chicago Bears...
I'm off to Springfield to play the role of Uncle Lu this weekend, so we'll have an abridged version of Bears Bullets today. Caleb Williams survived his first practice as Chicago Bears QB1. And all was right with the football...
There will be no punter hold out this summer. Tory Taylor is officially locked in: https://twitter.com/chicagobears/status/1789283410294321438?s=46&t=9_XcB6r0ywNyv4WuAOFkLA The Chicago Bears announced Tory Taylor’s signing on Saturday morning. And in doing so, made him the first of the team’s five 2024 NFL...
Caleb Williams might've gone first overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, but it looks like Bo Nix will be the the first of the first-round quarterbacks to sign their NFL contract. Nix, who the Denver Broncos selected with the 12th...
It's never too early to share Chicago Bears highlights. And while I realize it is probably a stretch to call these "highlights" but I'm not going to turn down an opportunity to share Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze clips when...
The Lions are making an extension for quarterback Jared Goff a "high priority." The Cardinals, Texans, and Giants added wide receivers this week. More in today's NFL Notes. Lions Making Jared Goff Extension a "High Priority" Two weeks after securing...
The first Caleb Williams minicamp press conference is in the books, and without a glitch. Whew! Limiting the drama this season is atop of my Chicago Bears 2024 wishlist. Caleb Williams had some interesting things to say in his first...
I've written about this a few times since EA Sports first announced the return of the long-awaited College Football Video game. And while part of me is keeping my hopes tempered until that game is actually downloaded onto my XBOX...
I am going to preface this by saying there isn't a reason to freak out over news that Kiran Amegadjie will miss the Chicago Bears upcoming rookie minicamp practices. And there is definitely no reason to be alarmed about a...
Nikola Jokic must make two 3-pointers to beat his prop when the Denver Nuggets face the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday at 8:00 PM ET, in Game 4 of the second round of the NBA playoffs.Nikola Jokic's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs....
At 8:00 PM ET on Sunday, in Game 4 of the second round of the NBA playoffs, it'll be the Denver Nuggets versus the Minnesota Timberwolves, with Michael Porter Jr. needing three trifectas to beat his 3-pointer prop.Michael Porter Jr.'s...
Anthony Edwards' Minnesota Timberwolves meet the Denver Nuggets on Sunday at 8:00 PM ET in Game 4 of the second round of the NBA playoffs, and to beat his 3-point over/under, he needs to make three from downtown.Anthony Edwards' Three-Pointer...
On Sunday at 8:00 PM ET, the Denver Nuggets face the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 4 of the second round of the NBA playoffs, and Jamal Murray's 3-pointer over/under for this matchup requires two trifectas.Jamal Murray's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs....
Karl-Anthony Towns' Minnesota Timberwolves play the Denver Nuggets on Sunday at 8:00 PM ET in Game 4 of the second round of the NBA playoffs, and to beat his 3-point prop, he must make two from downtown.Karl-Anthony Towns' Three-Pointer Prop...
Player prop betting options for Anthony Edwards, Nikola Jokic and others are available in the Minnesota Timberwolves-Denver Nuggets matchup at Target Center on Sunday (starting at 8:00 PM ET).How to Watch Timberwolves vs. NuggetsDate: Sunday, May 12, 2024Time: 8:00 PM...
I'll just presume he was sending this one out for mom. And I'll also presume that the knee is indeed feeling good. Home run number nine on the season for Christopher Morel: https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1789713524052087082
I was rounding up this morning's set of Bears Bullets when I saw this note from the Chicago Tribune's Dan Wiederer on rookie wide receiver Rome Odunze sitting out Saturday's practice with hamstring tightness and I knew I had to...
No surprises here, as the decision to start Kyle Hendricks this afternoon against the Pirates was made yesterday, but the news has officially hit the wire, and here it is. Kyle Hendricks Activated Kyle Hendricks is returning from his short...
Two of the league's top power hitters meet Sunday when the Atlanta Braves (24-12) and New York Mets (18-20) take the field at 7:10 PM ET, live on ESPN. Marcell Ozuna has 12 home runs for the Braves (-112 favorites...
NEWSLETTER
