Remembering the Run, a Mack-less Pro Bowl, Mahomes’ Local Ties, and Other Bears Bullets

Here is a strange confession: I tried to make a hot dog into a sandwich yesterday.

While trying to make the most out of the leftover chili at the house, I put two hot dogs (split in half) and topped them with chili between two slices of bread. The result? Meh. Thus proving a hot dog is not a sandwich. The end.

My gosh, what a concept:

Kyle Shanahan on why #49ers had 42 runs and eight passes: “Because it was working.”

— Eric Branch (@Eric_Branch) January 20, 2020

There is a laundry list of things I hope Bears Head Coach Matt Nagy took notes on while watching Conference Championship Sunday. But I wish for nothing more than Nagy jotting down each and every morsel of information he could get from the 49ers’ dismantling of the Packers. Jimmy Garoppolo threw just eight passes on Sunday. Mitch Trubisky threw more than five times as many passes as Garoppolo in the season opener, then threw nearly seven times as many passes in the second meeting between the Bears and the Packers. It was ridiculous when we first saw it play out, and even more so after watching how using a completely opposite set of tactics worked efficiently. Guh.

What might be more annoying is how the 49ers successfully used gadget runs against the Packers. Jet sweeps. Tosses to speedy receivers. Traps. Pitches. Motion. Misdirection. All of it. The stuff that many Bears fans moaned about Nagy using worked. Of course, it helps to catch a pitch when thrown in your direction. And it sure as heck is helpful when the guys up front and on the edge execute their blocks.

Chicago will have a revamped running game in 2020 under the direction of Offensive Coordinator Bill Lazor and Offensive Line Coach Juan Castillo. But before the Bears toss aside everything that didn’t work last year, they should make sure that things didn’t work because they were schemed poorly. Because it would be a shame if the Bears tossed out perfectly good plays, not because they didn’t work, but because attention to detail caused them not to be effective.

Remember this from Week 1?

.@bears first play from scrimmage was “classic Nagy” if only they could catch the “egg toss”. #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/lsjpvt0O9L

— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) September 6, 2019

I guess you can say the Bears’ offensive season was doomed from the start. But this design was there for a huge chunk play if Tarik Cohen doesn’t drop the ball.

The 49ers won 13 games, a hard-fought division title, and knocked off two NFC North foes en route to taking their talents to the Super Bowl. And they did it without a 1,000-yard rusher. Modern NFL teams have been moving away from traditional load-carrying backs, instead opting to go with balanced, multi-headed attacks. The 49ers had three running backs who gained at least 540 rushing yards. Two of those rushers averaged at least 5.1 yards per carry. Diversifying the running game is the next trend the Bears need to jump on immediately.

The break-down of Patrick Mahomes’ magical run is unique, as it highlights all the things that needed to unfold for it to happen:

#Chiefs — Mahomes’ TD run in the 2-minute drill.

•TEN playing DBL bracket coverage vs. Hill & Kelce.

•3-Man rush w/ LB spy

•Edge rusher runs up the field — opens up a lane for Mahomes.

Missed tackles here — and Mahomes making an MVP play. @NFLMatchup @gregcosell pic.twitter.com/fVibLzotUC

— Matt Bowen (@MattBowen41) January 20, 2020

Who knew Mahomes had local ties?

A local fun fact about the Super Bowl: Jimmy Garoppolo and Patrick Mahomes both have worked with private QB coach Jeff Christensen, who is based in the Chicago suburbs. Mahomes currently does. Titans QB Ryan Tannehill also worked with him.

— Adam Jahns (@adamjahns) January 20, 2020

On the other side of the quarterbacking spectrum, Aaron Rodgers isn’t getting the criticism for this play that some people believe he should be receiving:

This is cringeworthy….why doesn’t Rodgers get on this or not even try??? We skewered Can Newton for similar play in SB…pic.twitter.com/ywgTZfXDoB

— Danny Kanell (@dannykanell) January 20, 2020

And then there are others:

Aaron Rodgers had a 52.4 passer rating when the game was close, finished with 3 fumbles and 2 interceptions, can't wait to hear his media lapdogs spin this garbage time stat-stuffing into a masterpiece. #Vomit #Packers

— Ben Maller (@benmaller) January 20, 2020

Gaming computers, snack bars, radon detectors and more are your Deals of the Day at Amazon today. #ad

The return of Khalil Mack to the football field will just have to wait awhile:

Bears OLB Khalil Mack is not participating in this week’s Pro Bowl.

— Kevin Fishbain (@kfishbain) January 21, 2020

The Bears (and other teams that cut Raheem Mostert) inspired greatness greatness:

https://twitter.com/espn/status/1219106673761181696?s=20

Who ya got?

Super Bowl LIV
at Miami Gardens, Florida

Sunday, February 2, 2020

3:30 pm pacific – FOX
San Francisco 49ers 54
Kansas City Chiefs -1

— Jeff Sherman (@golfodds) January 20, 2020

I don’t know any quarterbacks who are universally loved by two prestigious football schools, which makes this a pretty cool thing for Jalen Hurts:

https://twitter.com/ESPNCFB/status/1219415159246073856?s=20

I dunno about this, Jim:

Jim Nagy, the top dog at the Senior Bowl, says he thinks Detroit can make a 49ers-like leap in 2020. San Francisco coached here at the Senior Bowl last year.

— kyle meinke (@kmeinke) January 21, 2020

I mean, come on:

After 2017 the Lions fired Jim Caldwell after winning 9 games.

They've won 9 games combined, since.

— Benjamin Allbright (@AllbrightNFL) January 20, 2020

If anyone needs me later in the afternoon, I’ll be checking out some things at OTC:

1. I've added the following new features to Over The Cap:
• Data on games missed (both to injury & healthy scratches)
• Injury adjusted OTC valuations
• Graphical display of OTC valuations (referred to as the "diamond")
• Valuation tab on player pageshttps://t.co/ZqQ8JcftOR

— Nick Korte (@nickkorte) January 20, 2020