Hacked! Pass-Game Problems, Run-Game Inspiration Out West, and Other Bears Bullets

The Super Bowl is in five days.

Each passing day moves us closer to the big game (and that’s great), but I have a small hurdle to clear before week’s end: I have to make a dish for a party, and naturally, I don’t know what I want to make. It has to be good, but it can’t be show-stealing good. But most importantly, it needs to be easy. Thoughts? Ideas? I’m all ears over on Twitter. (Michael: Do some fancy, home-made potato skins).

Who would’ve thought the talk leading into Super Bowl week would have surrounded hacked NFL accounts? It turns out the Bears weren’t the only team to get their Twitter hacked by a group on Monday. The 49ers and Chiefs were hacked as well, as were the Packers. But unlike the Bears incident, the hackers did not sell the team or trade away its best player. That’s a shame. A part of me was hoping the hackers would do something beneficial, such as un-do the recent ticket price-hike or lower some cap-hits.

More from the league on the Bears hack:

Here’s what the NFL is saying about the social media hackings that included the #Bears’ twitter account: pic.twitter.com/gDLRffYpXC

— Adam Hoge (@AdamHoge) January 28, 2020

Oh. And the NFL’s official account was hacked, too.  Oof. Not a good look for the league, or the security for one of its online entities. Guess that means it’s time to take serious action:

NFL working with law enforcement to investigate social media hacking https://t.co/j7UGyB23eA

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) January 28, 2020

It won’t take long for the focus of Super Bowl Week to shift back to the game itself. And as it does, you can expect 30 other fanbases to look at the two teams involved and wonder how their own team gets there next year. From a Bears perspective, there  has to be a focus on fixing a broken running game. Should Chicago seek inspiration, it should look no further than the 49ers:

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1222172481341005825?s=20

All those run plays and concepts need to be added to the Bears’ playbook immediately. Just do it already.

No excuses not to have a great game:

#Chiefs coach Andy Reid says at his press conference that his team has no injuries. “We’re healthy and ready to go.” Both teams at or near 100% for the Super Bowl.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 28, 2020

Over at Da Bears Blog, Johnathan Wood has a deep dive into what changed in the passing game. It deserves your attention:

From @Johnathan_Wood1:

“The average time to throw didn’t change all that much and the pressure got there a little faster, but the Bears still ranked right around average both in pressure rate and pass block win rate.”https://t.co/VhpwXkV0R4

— DaBearsBlog (@dabearsblog) January 22, 2020

Yesterday @Johnathan_Wood1 examined the non-QB reasons for the 2019 passing game’s decline. Today, he fixed on number 10. And discovered (or at least confirmed) he played like number 2.https://t.co/3FcUWbWDQ4

— DaBearsBlog (@dabearsblog) January 23, 2020

Pass game finale from @Johnathan_Wood1:

“Areas of weakness remained, his biggest passing positive from 2018…the short passing game…vanished. Add that to his non-passing strengths (avoiding sacks, running) disappearing, and we’re left with a bad QB.”https://t.co/WUVNtKYzVp

— DaBearsBlog (@dabearsblog) January 24, 2020

There are so many takeaways as to why the passing game fell apart in 2019. Mitch Trubisky’s biggest strengths (short, quick passes) in 2018 were non-existent in 2019. The same could be said for his non-passing strengths (running, mobility), which contributed to his taking a tumble. But to be clear, it wasn’t all on Trubisky. The Bears had tight end problems across the board. A group of pass-catchers that was among the best at catching everything in 2018 caught a case of the dropsies in 2019. Pass-blocking problems prevailed as a major issue throughout the season. More pressure, more drops, and fewer reliable options played a role in Trubisky’s struggles. But it’s not as if he helped his own cause when given opportunities. That’s what makes this all so frustrating, especially since he is entering his fourth year as a pro.

I suppose the good news is that problems have been identified as to why the Bears’ passing game took a step back in 2019. And where there are problems, there are always solutions. But the bad news is that there are no shortcuts or quick fixes.

It’s cool, though. Trubisky’s high school coach believes everything is going to be just fine:

"I think he’ll be fine," Mitch Trubisky's high school coach said. "He’s talented. . . . You saw at the end of the year where he was and where he’s going to be.

"I think [the Bears] will be in good shape next year and get things going."https://t.co/qFg7dUdL3D

— Sun-Times Sports (@suntimes_sports) January 28, 2020

Broken running game. Broken quarterback play. Thank goodness for the defense.

Sometimes, I wonder what would have happened had Walter Payton been a full-time quarterback:

When RB1 becomes QB1 https://t.co/NJXuxYi3BM

— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) January 28, 2020

Great Deals of the Day at Amazon today, including charging gear, computers, monitors, coffee stuff, craft kits, and more. #ad

Some cool leftovers from the Pro Bowl:

https://twitter.com/ChicagoBears/status/1221850349260234760?s=20

https://twitter.com/ChicagoBears/status/1222184760627421184?s=20

https://twitter.com/ChicagoBears/status/1221181770659454977?s=20

I’m tussling between choosing to cover Reggie Wayne on a 53-yard touchdown pass and Rex Grossman’s pick-six when the Bears trailed 22-17 early in the fourth quarter. What say you?

If you could change 1 play in Super Bowl history, which would it be?

— SB Nation (@SBNation) January 28, 2020

The Browns have a new GM:

Official!

Welcome back, Andrew Berry!

📰 » https://t.co/tk9Z4z9gKH pic.twitter.com/jWE1Vl7Xj2

— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) January 28, 2020

Some wonderful tributes last night at the UC:

Chicago will never forget the Black Mamba 💜💛

(Via @NBCSBulls)
pic.twitter.com/JUgczriz9H

— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) January 28, 2020

Bulls and Spurs Open with 8 and 24-Second Violations to Honor Kobe Bryant (VIDEO)https://t.co/puaV4NSotY

— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) January 28, 2020