The Bears Are Sack Masters and Other Bullets

In case you were wondering why I was nerd-ing out over Star Wars this morning, here ya go:

The new stills from the newest installation of the Star Wars sequel trilogy have me ready to fast forward through the calendar. Between “The Rise of Skywalker” and late-season Bears games, I’m ready for December.

  • And even though I’m geeked about what is coming down the pipeline this winter, I know there are plenty of bridges to cross before we get there. It’s all fun and games right now as the Bears get into OTAs, but the team will get back to business at some point. Eventually, the mild annoyance known as Chicago’s kicking competition will take center stage again and it will engulf our souls. But until that time comes, let’s enjoy things as they stand. Because while we should be mindful of the future, we shouldn’t be so at the expense of living in the present. The Bears are good and in a position to be better this coming year. Allow that to sink in for a moment.
  • High on the list of things I’m looking forward to in 2019 is how the Bears further develop their offense. Head Coach Matt Nagy and Offensive Coordinator Mark Helfrich used motion and misdirection to keep opposing defenses on their heels and off balance. The team’s use of those two specific aspects of scheming and play-design helped take a bite out of the steep learning curve Mitch Trubisky had as a second-year quarterback who was in Year 1 learning a new offense.
  • Analyst Brian Baldinger’s explanation of how the Bears used these elements makes sense of it all:
  • And here’s the thing: Trubisky and the Bears can get better. As Baldigner points out, Trubisky recognizes the mismatch well before the throw, but the ball could have been thrown quicker. An earlier release would have made for an even easier scoring grab for tight end Adam Shaheen. Ideally, these are things that have been worked out since last year’s home game against Minnesota. Or at worse, before the regular season starts up in September.
  • How many Bears not named Khalil Mack can you find on this list? Ready, set, go:
  • (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

  • Opposing offenses have plenty to account for with Leonard Floyd, Akiem Hicks, Roquan Smith, Eddie Goldman, Aaron Lynch, Bilal Nichols, and Roy Robertson-Harris joining forces with Khalil Mack. And that’s just in the front seven. Yikes! Have fun with that, opposing NFC North offenses.
  • Speaking of Nichols, Larry Mayer of the Bears’ official website thinks the slimmed-down version of the second-year Delaware product could be in position to use improved quickness and power to fully unlock his powers as a versatile defender.
  • Matt Nagy’s ability to connect to his players and drive home the #BeYou mentality in Year 2 will go a long way toward the Bears being great again:
  • Four active Bears landing among the best 100 players in franchise history is quite unique. But are more on the way?
  • https://twitter.com/ChicagoBears/status/1130891071838408704

  • Give it a few years, but I think Khalil Mack is going to end up higher than where he was when it’s all said and done.
  • Jim McMahon’s placement on the list is quite fair:
  • The only quarterback to win a Super Bowl for the Bears receives some much-deserved love. Should the Bears have won more than one Super Bowl in the 1980s? You bet. Would they have done so if McMahon would been a bit more fortunate from a health perspective. I have no doubt that would be the case.
  • Sprinklers, vitamins, and dog food are among today’s Deals of the Day at Amazon.
  • There are some things that are bigger than football:
  • An old friend finds a new home:
  • This Coby White fan is intrigued by at least one of the directions the latest mock drafts have the Bulls traveling toward:
  • written by

    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.

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