One Pro Bowl Snub, Trick Play of the Year, Mack’s Priorities, and Other Bullets
I’m about 90 percent done with my Christmas shopping. At least, that’s what I keep telling myself. Maybe it’s 90 percent done in my head because I know what I need to get the people I’m shopping for and where I need to go. It’s just that I haven’t done it yet. This wicked cough isn’t going to help my cause, but I’m going to power through these Bullets and this day of #content, then get things done so I can share a happier update tomorrow.
- You can’t tell me these guys didn’t deserve their Pro Bowl honors:
- The Bears had five players selected to the Pro Bowl and seven alternates (headlined by quarterback Mitch Trubisky) who could join them at a moment’s notice. While these honors are (in part) a testament to fan voting, that aspect is just one-third of the process. That the Bears received as much Pro Bowl recognition as they did says a lot about how the league’s players and coaches feel about what’s going on in Chicago because they represent the other two-thirds of the selection process. The Bears have good players who are now finally being recognized for their efforts. Better late than never, I suppose.
- A Bears legend talking to one in the making is worth your time:
https://twitter.com/nflnetwork/status/1075209415307882496
- Here’s the money quote from Mack: “We don’t want to play in that game more than we want to play in the big one.”
- And it’s not like that’s a one-off one-liner:
Khalil Mack, when asked what his best-case scenario was for 2018 when he found out the Bears traded for him:
"Shit, my best case scenario? It hasn’t happened yet."
— JJ Stankevitz (@JJStankevitz) December 16, 2018
- You can’t tell me Mack doesn’t have his priorities in order.
- One of the many reasons Kyle Fuller earned his first Pro Bowl selection:
💥💪Defenders Destroying Pass Games 💪💥
Updated 12/19. Basically a who's who of pass-game disruption.#DaBears #LARams #BeRedSeeRed #ChiefsKingdom #GoBills #Texans #BroncosCountry #OnePride #Skol #GoPats #FightForEachOther #Seahawks #GoSaints pic.twitter.com/mhpY02ss0B
— NFL Matchup on ESPN (@NFLMatchup) December 19, 2018
- Even though the Bears were well represented, there was one snub we should probably discuss. Eddie Goldman is one of the league’s best nose tackles and is playing his tail off this season. Goldman is Pro Football Focus’ 18th-highest-rated interior defender and his 83.9 grade is a career best. He was the longest of long-shots to make the game because his statistics (2 sacks, 4 tackles-for-loss, 2 quarterback hits) don’t jump off the page. But Goldman’s skills draw multiple blockers, allow him to eat space in the middle of the defense as a rush defender, and push the pocket back as a pass-rusher. Big No. 91 deserves some love today because he opens up things for attacks from every other angle from a ferocious Bears defense.
- On the other side of the ball, the folks at Sports Illustrated ranked the top trick plays of the 2018 season and it should come as no surprise that the Bears came in at No. 1. After all, ’tis the season and all that:
Bet you didn't see this one coming. Or maybe you did. ¯_(ツ)_/¯
15-6, #DaBears! #LARvsCHI pic.twitter.com/ncARc0xKoI
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) December 10, 2018
- This absolutely blew my mind:
Matt Nagy Division Titles with #DaBears : 1
(Total years coached: 1)Combined division titles of
Bobby Ross
Gary Moeller
Marty Mornhenwig
Steve Mariucci
Dick Jauron
Rod Marinelli
Jim Schwartz
Jim Caldwell
Matt Patricia
with the Detroit #Lions: 0(Total years coached: 22)
— Bill Zimmerman (@ZimmermanSXM) December 17, 2018
- Meanwhile, in Packerland:
I mean really if you can’t out play Mitch Trubisky,how good are you?, Aaron’s only job is to OUT play the other QB! Agree? You will never win scoring 17 pts
— leroy butler (@leap36) December 16, 2018
- Friendly fire from a Green Bay legend? Ouch. That probably hurts as much as getting out-played by Mitch Trubisky. And yes, I’m willing to look past Butler’s back-handed slap in Trubisky’s direction for the sake of content. He’ll have plenty of time to prove doubters and naysayers wrong over the next few years.
- Robbie Gould would be named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week on the Wednesday before he plays the Bears. It’s only fitting:
Congrats @RobbieGould09!
4/4 on FGs including the overtime winner – he’s been named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week. #WPMOYChallenge Gould pic.twitter.com/2R3Llxyc4L
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) December 19, 2018
- Gould has made 96.3 percent of his kicks since being let go by the Bears before the start of the 2016 season. Bears kickers haven’t had anywhere near that level of success in the same time span, but the hope is that Cody Parkey can get there some day. Hey, a guy can dream … can’t he?
- I feel better about the Parkey kicking situation knowing that he has the Robbie Gould Seal of Approval:
Robbie Gould on Cody Parkey: "Cody's done a great job there. If you go back and watch his film, he's really had one unfortunate game. He's a guy who I have a lot of respect for who I think will do really well there. I think he'll be successful there."
— Kevin Fishbain (@kfishbain) December 19, 2018
- Raise ’em right, Robbie:
Former Bears kicker, now SF kicker Robbie Gould, says he plans to go watch the Bears in the playoffs.
— Mark Grote (@markgrotesports) December 19, 2018
- In case you missed it: Bears playoff tickets go on sale at 1 p.m. CT on Thursday. So if you haven’t completed your Christmas shopping just yet, know that the perfect stocking-stuffer for your favorite Bears fan (or blogger) will be available tomorrow.