I’m going to use this space at the top of Bullets to remind our readers and commenters to not be jerks to each other here, on Facebook, Twitter, other social media platforms, or in real life. Unnecessary and inflammatory comments are not acceptable or appreciate at this (or any) time. Get it together, gang. No excuses.
Well, we have certainly had a newsy day here at BN HQ. In a not-so-surprising twist, the Bears announced they’re having an open competition at quarterback. Mitch Trubisky vs. Nick Foles. The incumbent vs. the upstart. It’s a battle for the opportunity to guide a team with a relentless defense and fun targets on offense to the postseason for the second time in three years. This is where the fun begins.
What happens beyond that is anyone’s guess, as a rival executive shared their belief that the Bears are NOT going to select a quarterback in the upcoming NFL Draft because of Trubisky’s presence. Which … mmmkay, I’m not so sure about that, but hey, it’s out there!
Perhaps Chicago’s brass wouldn’t be into drafting a QB in 2020 so whomever is waiting in the wings gets their own guy? A report surfaced today that there is a belief that Pace and Nagy could be fired at the end of the 2020 season. Pretty wild to think about that possibility a year after Nagy was named the NFL’s Coach of the Year and Pace earned Executive of the Year honors from his peers. But rumors like this tend to persist after a disappointing season. Obviously, we’ll continue to follow these storylines as they develop.
Today is one of those days where it’s easy to write the bullets. It felt good to be tweeting about a game against the Packers, like we were last night. No, it doesn’t matter that the game happened five years ago. Or that it was mostly inconsequential to a Bears team in the early stages of a tear-down/rebuild phase. It just felt right to be doing the community tweeting thing. Long before Twitter was a place where we shouted at each other for any number of reasons, it was a place where sports fans came together at what was essentially a virtual sports bar. To be a part of that again felt great.
Credit Ryan Pace for knowing what he’s doing in building a secondary:
Dear Mr. Pace: Please find the 2020 version of 2015 Tracy Porter. Put him across from Kyle Fuller.
I’m glad someone tweeted this, because I had a similar thought:
Watching Davante Adams ride the struggle bus reminded me of how far he has come as a receiver. Adams is a far better route-runner and pass-catcher now than he was in 2015. And that’s why he is getting paid the big bucks.
Also, I miss Zach Miller. Watching Miller in that performance reminded me that you don’t need to be peak-era Jimmy Graham to be a productive tight end. Be a guy who finds the soft spots in defenses, haul in the catchable passes, chip in with a block or two, and you’re golden.
Unfortunately, this move was a harbinger of things to come:
Was it just me, or were the 2015 Bears better at running screen plays better than the 2019 team?
There was way too much from the 2015 Bears that reminded me of the 2019 team. Hearing Al Michaels say the Bears have just one first down in 20 minutes of game time, watching the offense settle for a field goal after getting 1st-and-goal from inside the 5-yard-line, the general mishaps from the special teams in coverage … I could go on, but don’t want to because I’d like to keep my sanity on a Friday morning.
Also, prime year Jay Cutler takes the 2018 Bears to the Super Bowl. Right?
Here’s a casual list of dudes I had forgotten were Bears until I saw them on my TV: Bruce Gaston, Jonathan Anderson, Jarvis Jenkins, Laminators Barrow, Alan Ball, LaRoy Reynolds, Antone Smith, Sherrod Martin. A nice reminder of how much special teams turnover there is from year-to-year.
Brian Urlacher wasn’t on that team, but that’s not goin to stop me from sharing this:
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-fgibejlto/
Tyreek Hill has a future as an offensive play caller?
https://twitter.com/thecheckdown/status/1245840664668950528?s=20
As if you didn’t already know:
This seems pretty neat:
Check out the “deals” section at Amazon for your pet supplies, if you are fortunate enough to have a pet friend there with you in your home. #ad
You’re up, BN Bulls: