Halas and Ditka Honored, Mitch is Money in December, Coward’s Arrow Points Up, Floyd’s Future, and Other Bears Bullets

Raise your hand if you’re running on the fuel that is the hopes and dreams of potential playoff glory that could come if the Bears keep going 1-0 every Sunday.

Good to know it’s not just me.

The NFL continues to honor its legends with its All-Time Team, which has soooo many Bears. It should be as no surprise that these two greats made the cut:

The first tight end ever inducted into the @ProFootballHOF.#NFL100 pic.twitter.com/88yEr1pXqB

— NFL (@NFL) December 14, 2019

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1205666101096353792

https://twitter.com/nflnetwork/status/1205664964096094209

Mitch Trubisky is rolling, and it just so happens this is his month to shine:

“Trubisky is 5-0 in December. He’s like the Lexus commercial with the bow on it. He only comes alive in December, you don’t see it any other time of year.”@TheCousinSal explains why 4 points might be too many points for the Packers against the Bearspic.twitter.com/IcTvgesoYR

— FS1 (@FS1) December 13, 2019

In addition to the noteworthy numbers tied to wagering, Trubisky’s teams are 7-3 straight up in December. His 68.9 percent completion rate and 6.95 yards per attempt in December also represent bests when it comes to month-by-month splits. Maybe the quarterback who has made it known in the past that he is a rhythm passer finds a groove in December because all of the reps build to him playing well down the stretch? I can’t rule it out, but I want to see how things unfold for the rest of this month.

Plays like this will go a long way toward building that Mr. December rep:

From @NFLMatchup — #Bears QB Mitchell Trubisky rushed for 63 yards in the Week 14 win over DAL. And the designed run concepts bring another element to Matt Nagy’s offense.

With a matchup vs. the #Packers today, we broke down Trubisky’s TD run on the zone-read scheme. pic.twitter.com/kU1nshNVJO

— Matt Bowen (@MattBowen41) December 15, 2019

One of the keys to Trubisky’s recent ascent has been stability on the offensive line. The swap of Cody Whitehair to center and James Daniels to left guard appears to have paid off. Whitehair is in the middle of the action directing traffic with two young guards flanking him has seemingly opened up holes in the running game, while also allowing Trubisky to find a new-found comfort level. Sure, we still see snaps that are off from time-to-time. So while it isn’t perfect, it is a vast improvement from what was seen in the first half of the year.

Some interesting nuggets from Bears OL Coach Harry Hiestand on Rashaad Coward via Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic:

Hiestand on Coward continued: "He has the physical ability. He has the toughness. But is he willing to do the work to continue to get better and better, which he has to do, and I think the answer is yes. We'll see, but he's on the right track and he has all the tools necessary."

— Kevin Fishbain (@kfishbain) December 11, 2019

Coward has carved out a niche at right guard. He has been strong in the run game and competent in pass protection. There are still moments where he is noticeably still learning the position (I mean, this is just his second season on the offensive side of the ball), but Hiestand clearly sees something he likes in the up-and-coming guard. Continued good play from Coward could put him in a position to be a starter for the long haul, so I am looking forward to seeing how the final three games of the regular season play out.

On the other side of the line of scrimmage, Leonard Floyd has a lot to play for:

ICYMI: Leonard Floyd has played like an All-Pro vs. the #Packers. With 3 games remaining in the season, the #Bears face a decision: Pay the former 1st round pick $13.2 million in '20 or consider other options.

Examining the situation from all angles.https://t.co/LhVx30ySIc

— Brad Biggs (@BradBiggs) December 15, 2019

Floyd’s best games have come against the Packers. And when he opened the year with a gold-star performance, I thought the start of a breakout campaign was coming. It hasn’t. And even though Floyd continues to be a nice role player for these Bears, the team could have used some impact from a pass-rusher opposite of Khalil Mack (especially when Akiem Hicks was out on IR). So in addition to the Bears playing for their playoff lives, players like Floyd are playing for contracts.

In Brad Biggs’ piece in the Tribune, Outside Linebackers Coach Ted Monachino is ready to “pound the table” for Floyd to stick with the Bears. Chicago picked up Floyd’s fifth-year option, but that $13.2 million price tag could be a tad bit too rich for the Bears’ taste if that was the cost of business on a per-yer basis on a multi-year deal. Add it to the list of questions the front office needs to answer this offseason.

Just reading this makes me want to throw on another layer:

⚠️ NFL Weather Alert ⚠️ #Bears100 at #GoPackGo

Clear and cold this afternoon at Lambeau with temperatures in the teens and an 8-10 MPH wind blowing from end-to-end. Bundle up!

Pointspread: Packers -4.5
Total: 40.5

NFL Weather: https://t.co/5izPT5ly16 pic.twitter.com/rxqAcXhL1N

— Covers (@Covers) December 15, 2019

I want to fill the whole card:

https://twitter.com/HecklerChiBears/status/1205948911908769794

Well, this certainly isn’t going to help the Bears’ playoff odds:

For the second consecutive Saturday, the #Chargers have ruled out one of their regulars for non-injury reasons. This time it’s DB Desmond King. He won’t play Sunday vs. Minnesota.

— Jeff Miller (@JeffMillerLAT) December 15, 2019

I am glad I (eventually) got around to reading this on ex-Bear Rashaan Salaam:

After his NFL career flamed out rather quickly, 1994 Heisman winner Rashaan Salaam fell into a depression buried by the weight of expectations never met, @TimRohan writes https://t.co/UleGMLtnxh

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) December 11, 2019

Joe Burrow, who was once a 200-to-1 long-shot to win the Heisman Trophy … won the dang Heisman trophy in what is one of the most remarkable sports stories of the year:

Tears, billboards and constant interviews: Inside Joe Burrow's Heisman Trophy Weekend, in which the #LSU quarterback maneuvered the past, his changing future and the emotional moment.

"That's the most I've cried in 23 years of living."

Story: https://t.co/F4rV19bBbO pic.twitter.com/4I7F3t8uay

— Brody Miller (@BrodyAMiller) December 15, 2019

Burrow will probably be the first player taken in the 2020 NFL Draft. But after that, the situation is fluid. And to think, it could get wilder if Ohio State defensive game-wrecker Chase Young returns to Ohio State:

Despite heavy speculation that he'll declare for the 2020 NFL Draft, Chase Young says “the plan” is for him to return to Ohio State for his senior season https://t.co/mwB2lfiOZp

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) December 14, 2019

An expensive beer …

#Ravens CB Marcus Peters was fined $14,037 for unsportsmanlike conduct — drinking a beer with fans to celebrate his win-sealing pass breakup against the #Bills. 🍺 🍺 🍻

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 14, 2019

… and a noble move:

Drinking a celebratory beer isn’t a crime. We’ll match that tab with a donation to a charity on your behalf @marcuspeters. DM us. https://t.co/Ctjthf9iEF

— Bud Light (@budlight) December 14, 2019

The Bulls had quite the day on Saturday:

Pressure Mounting? Paxson and Boylen Reportedly Plan for Less Mediahttps://t.co/5epQSVnNEi

— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) December 14, 2019

Wait, Really? Bulls Beat Clippers 109-106 For First Win Over .500 Opponent https://t.co/1o5nwlm2Bg

— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) December 15, 2019

John Paxson Says He's "In Lockstep" with Jim Boylen (Other Things That'll Perturb You)
https://t.co/vokqcnQktD

— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) December 15, 2019