Quarterback Swag, Pagano Pressure, Fridge Still Brings Heat on the Mic, and Other Bullets

My childhood best friend is getting married in 389 days. And yesterday, he asked me to stand up in his wedding. Between Cubs-Cardinals, the Bears100 celebration, and yesterday’s festivities, I’m on some sort of emotional high.

  • There is no denying the Bears have turned their energy around in the last calendar year. A new coach, fresh set of eyes looking to solve old problems, and a clean slate got the ball rolling for the team in 2018. Safety Eddie Jackson taking a major leap as a second-year player was a key factor in the Bears’ worst-to-first turn, and he wants to keep things going in 2019:
  • Speaking of Week 1, Chuck Pagano has a message of his own:
  • Bring the heat, Coach Pagano!
  • The biggest (and frankly, only) complaint I heard from fans regarding last year’s defense is that they wanted more blitzes. That’s understandable. It’s in every football fan’s DNA to want a more aggressive scheme, and Bears fans — who have seen the most hyper-active blitzing defenses work over the years — are no different. Pagano hasn’t been a full-time defensive coordinator in a while, but the expectation is that he’ll bring the house more often than his predecessor. And for as much as I enjoyed watching Vic Fangio’s defenses, I’m not going to sit here and say I’m opposed to more blitzes when that’s not the case. But remember, the Bears need to get home on blitzes for them to be effective. Otherwise, there is potential for big trouble.
  • The Dick Butkus-Mike Singletary panel was my absolute favorite. Butkus was a show-stealer with his many quips. This one might be my favorite:
  • This image is still mesmerizing:
  • A torch was passed on Saturday when Jim McMahon gifted Mitch Trubisky a pair of sunglasses and a headband to wear during the QBs panel on Saturday morning:
  • The QB1 swag was off the charts yesterday.
  • Get it, Fridge:
  • https://twitter.com/ChicagoBears/status/1137509261611806720

  • Well, I guess this is growing up:
  • Mike Ditka, a member of the team’s 1963 championship team, had some much-deserved praise for a club that gets overlooked in the annals of Bears history. “I think it was the best,” Ditka said of the team’s defense, via Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times. “They only gave up 10 points (a game). … Our defense was unbelievable. People don’t remember. I can remember Joe Fortunato, Bill George, and those guys. J.C. Carolina. I can go on and on. Rosey Taylor. They were great football players. They didn’t get the acclaim they would today.”
  • The 1963 Bears went 11-1-2. Their offense was led by Ditka (a first-team All-Pro tight end) cathching passes from Pro Bowl quarterback Billy Wade, and featured other standouts such as Joe Marconi, Willie Galimore, and Johnny Morris. That defense was loaded, too, with the aforementioned Taylor (Pro Bowler and first-team All-Pro), Richie Petitbon, Ed O’Bradovich, Doug Atkins, and others. Just looking back into the team’s Pro Football Reference page is a history lesson of its own.
  • I had never seen the 1963 championship trophy until yesterday, and now I find myself wondering why more professional championship trophies don’t look this awesome any more:
  • https://twitter.com/BN_Bears/status/1137401805036511232

  • Wow:
  • Ain’t this adorable?
  • https://www.instagram.com/p/BydqFlaFQqh/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

  • Devin Hester is still ridiculous:
  • DIBS!
  • That’s neat:
  • The Walter Payton video fro Friday was pretty dope and I’m glad his family was there to take it in:
  •  

    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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