Running the Ball is Back in Style and Other Bears Bullets

My friends and I had way too much fun on the first night of our Las Vegas adventure. How we plan on topping it tonight is beyond me, but that’s the thrill of it all … right?

  • Here’s hoping Matt Nagy (and whoever happens to be the Bears’ next offensive coordinator) reads this:
  • The Bears failed to successfully run the ball last year, which was damaging to the offense on so many levels. By not being good in the running department, Chicago failed to help take pressure off quarterback Mitch Trubisky. And by not sustaining drives by simply chewing up clock, which would have helped the defense get some time to breathe. There are times when I wonder if not getting a few more first drives to give the defense a couple of extra breaths on the sideline were the difference between winning and losing in 2019. In an 8-8 season like the Bears just had, every reason is on the table.
  • A note for Bears offensive play-callers in 2020 … steal this concept and action:
  • https://twitter.com/BN_Bears/status/1215736565512769536?s=20

  • A fun design with great execution … where do I sign up?
  • No, I won’t go as far as to say Mitch Trubisky can run this perfectly … but his skills as a runner should be utilized in this way for as long as he is Chicago’s QB1. Perhaps a successful run-in game could open up passing lanes that even an inconsistent Trubisky could hit. It’s just a thought. Store it away in your memory banks for a rainy day.
  • Here’s a stat worth sharing: Four of the eight remaining NFL playoff teams rank among the top six in rushing yards per game. And while some of that is a product of having a lead and salting the game away, I hard to find it a coincidence that the best teams are the ones who are at the top of the charts, while the teams who weren’t good at it last year are making draft plans.\
  • The Bears must cast a wide net to efficiently solve their offseason needs. And if they have to go to Canada to find help, so be it:
  • NFL reporter Howard Balzer reports the Bears tried out a pair of cornerbacks on Thursday. Among them is Tre Roberson, who played professionally for Calgary’s CFL team. Roberson’s path to the league is an interesting one, and one that is easy to root for in the grand scheme of things. The Illinois State product was a quarterback for the Redbirds and ultimately switched positions. The move has been a successful one, and has him on the cusp of possibly playing his way onto an NFL roster. It won’t be easy for the 27-year-old, but this is the time of year where guys like him slide onto teams via future/reserve contracts before making a name for themselves during offseason training programs.
  • I haven’t unveiled a top-to-bottom list of needs for the Bears, but secondary help will be on it. Not only is Prince Amukamara is getting up there in the age department, his late-season battles with injury should be viewed as a sign to the Bears to invest in reinforcements. But the help they need isn’t limited to the secondary. Eddie Jackson and Kentrell Brice are the only safeties on the squad right now, with Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Deon Bush, and DeAndre Houston-Carson set to become free agents. So not only do the Bears need starter-quality players, they need depth, too. Keep that in mind when making your offseason wish list.
  • Ex-Bears RB Mike Davis has an interesting collection of jerseys:
  • https://twitter.com/MikeDavisRB/status/1215329316227231745?s=20

  • Keep the votes coming in for Allen Robinson:
  • Based on weather alerts I’ve received on my phone, I’m glad I am not in Chicago today:
  • https://www.instagram.com/p/B7L26OVlCPZ/

    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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