Someone Else’s Kicking Misadventures Stole the Show on MNF and Other Bears Bullets

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As you could probably tell from our content sharing over the years, yours truly is a big-time Star Wars fanboy. So a part of me is ready to dive into a full marathon of Skywalker goodness as soon as humanly possible. But also, “The Mandalorian” looks legit and I’ve long believed that someone needed to tell a story of a better Boba Fett (one who doesn’t go out like a chump). With that in mind, you can sign up for a free trial right here (the BN family gets a commission when you sign up).

Thanks and enjoy! I know I will.

  • Ahhh, yes, we found out where Chase McLaughlin’s woulda-coulda-shoulda-been game-winning kick landed after ye ole hook job:
  • That kick, my friends, was worse than any doink I have ever experienced. It wasn’t close. Didn’t have a prayer. That wasn’t going anywhere but Heartbreak City. No shot, Sparkles. And then the 49ers went on to lose the game. Tough scene. Meanwhile, the remaining members of the 1972 Dolphins are popping champagne once again.
  • I laughed out loud at Joe Tessitore’s call of that kick because it was laugh out loud funny. To be clear, I wasn’t laughing at Chase McLaughlin. But for Tessitore to say the moment was too big for McLaughlin just moments after he nailed a 47-yarder to tie the game with ease was straight up outlandish. How could that even be a thing!?
  • Had McLaughlin made that kick to give the Niners a win, it would have helped the Bears’ slim playoff chances (more on that later today). But part of me is glad he didn’t because I didn’t want to rip out what remaining hair I had left on my head because of the Bears’ missed opportunity. As we pointed out in the offseason, McLaughlin was right there for the Bears to try out for their kicking competition. And yet, he didn’t even get a sniff at any point during the Bears’ search. It is borderline irresponsible to not even kick the tires on a prospect who was successful kicking in your own building while he was a college kicker. It still boggles my mind that he didn’t even get a shot. Because while I enjoyed the spectacle that was the kicking competition, process matters. And that McLaughlin wasn’t part of the process despite the obvious fit and prior success kicking in the toughest building in football still bothers me months later.
  • To be fair, I still think Eddy Piñeiro is a heck of a kicker. And while I realize he has fallen on some hard times of late, we knew he wasn’t going to be perfect. It’s not how you fall, it’s how you get back up. And I’m curious as heck to see how Piñeiro bounces back from missing a PAT last week. Go get ’em, #15!
  • Meanwhile, this was the coolest thing to come out of MNF:
  • I love watching David Montgomery run …
  • https://twitter.com/KyleBrandt/status/1194287252479852544

  • … but why did the Bears abandon the “I” formation stuff after it had worked so well in recent weeks?
  • Plenty of chatter about quarterbacks this morning, but my guy @JoeyProspects put together a neat thread on Jamie Newman from Wake Forest:
  • You might remember Newman as someone who popped up on our radar as a prospect to keep tabs on in a recent installment of Obsessive QB Watch.
  • There is no surprise as to why we’re talking quarterbacks as much as we are:
  • It hasn’t been all bad for Mitch Trubisky:
  • The people need the Taylor Gabriel/Tarik Cohen footrace ASAP:
  • On this date in Bears history:
  • https://twitter.com/ChiSportsDay/status/1194253514626805762

  • If your reactions during that play weren’t something like “No. No. Noooo. OHMYGAWSHYEAH!” then you’re lying to yourself.
  • Best of luck to Mike Davis in Carolina:
  • Shoes, coffee, fancy games, and more are your Deals of the Day at Amazon today. #ad
  • 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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