NEWSLETTER
🎶 So … I typed a text to a girl I used to see
wondering how Mitchell Trubisky can go get win number three…
And I apologize if the drops let you down
While I CC every QB prospect that I’d see-see around town
And I hate to see y’all frown, but I’d rather see her smilin’
Monsters all around me, true, good luck with Fuller Island
Try Jaylon Johnson maybe
Makes no sense, I know, crazy
Give up no sacks, maybe sign “Snacks,” and then don’t go looking back
Spaceships … don’t come equipped with Roman-like pillars
Landmark status dips as quick as it can, the turf is now ripped
I’m so like a kick, through the uprights
Don’t let past doinks from someone burn you on your bum
When the ball kicks at noon, throw the ball to Moon
Like you’re the best QB in the room, make Coach Nagy go “BOOM!”
Or don’t do it, reconsider,
read some liter-ature,
on the subject;
go deep?
f*** it
You know Bears fans got your back like chiroprac-tic
And if the refs you you dirty, we’ll scream and tweet about it
Now hurry, hurry, go on to the huddle
I know you’re not Deshaun or Pat, but remember what Coach Flip taught ya:
Play smart, Mitchell, play smart
Hey, play smart, Mitchell, play smart
Man, these defenses is smart, Mitchell, the D is smart
Play your part … play your part… 🎶
I’ll never be Andre 3000, but I already knew that. But perhaps this preview will be to BN Bears what “International Players Anthem” is to rap music.
“Never Tell Me The Odds”
The DraftKings SportsBook lists the Bears (2-0) as 3-point underdogs against the Falcons (0-2). The total is set at 47.5, which is the highest projected total for a Bears game this season.
Series History:
The Bears lead the all-time series 14-13. These two teams haven’t met since Week 1 of the 2017 season. Mike Glennon was the starting QB on what was our maiden voyage as The Artist Formerly Known as The Ten Yard Line. #memories
Game Time, Broadcast Info, Officiating Crew:
Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Broadcast Info: Sunday, September 27 at noon CT on FOX-TV (Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma, Shannon Spake), WBBM-AM 780 and WCFS-FM 105.9 (Jeff Joniak, Tom Thayer, Mark Grote)
Referee: Jerome Boger
Expected Starters and Lineups:
Bears Expected Starters:
Offense
• QB Mitchell Trubisky
• RB David Montgomery
• WRs Allen Robinson II, Anthony Miller
• TE Jimmy Graham, Demetrius Harris
• LT Charles Leno Jr., LG James Daniels, C Cody Whitehair, RG Germain Ifedi, RT Bobby Massie
Defense
• DT Akiem Hicks, NT Bilal Nichols, DE Roy Robertson-Harris
• OLBs Khalil Mack, Robert Quinn
• ILBs Roquan Smith, Danny Trevathan
• CBs Kyle Fuller, Jaylon Johnson
• FS Eddie Jackson
• SS Tashaun Gipson Sr.
Specialists
• Cairo Santos (kicker), Pat O’Donnell (punter, holder), Patrick Sales (long snapper), Cordarrelle Patterson (kick returns), Tarik Cohen (punt returns)
Falcons Expected Starters:
Offense
• QB Matt Ryan
• RB Todd Gurley
• FB Keith Smith
• WRs Calvin Ridley, Russell Gage
• TE Hayden Hurst
• LT Jake Matthews, LG James Carpenter, C Alex Mack, RG Chris Lindstrom, RT Matt Gono
Defense
• DE Allen Bailey, DE Steven Means, DT Grady Jarrett, DT Tyeler Davison
• LBs Deion Jones, Foyesade Oluokun
• CBs Darqueze Dennard, Isaiah Oliver, A.J. Terrell
• Ss Damontae Kazee, Ricardo Allen
Specialists
• Younghoe Koo (kicker), Sterling Hofrichter (punter, holder), Josh Harris (long snapper), Brandon Powell (kick and punt returns)
Three Bears …
Mitchell Trubisky owns a 99.1 passer rating in four games played in domes since the start of the 2018 season. That lofty number comes as Trubisky has completed 93 of 137 passes for 950 yards, thrown 6 touchdowns with just one interception. Those are impressive stats that Trubisky hopes to build upon against a defense that allowed Russell Wilson and Dak Prescott to go off for 8 total TD (5 passing, 3 rushing) and 0 INT in the first two weeks of the season.
If Trubisky was going to fully re-capture the magic of his 2018 season, then re-creating his epic 6 TD game against the Buccaneers against another NFC South opponent feels like a good place to start.
Khalil Mack often lines up over an opposing team’s right tackle. In this case, it would be Matt Gono — who replaced Kaleb McGary last week and figures to start in his place this week. Mack — who has just 1 sack, 1 QB Hit, and 1 tackle-for-loss in two games — should look to FEAST on Atlanta’s offensive line.
Kyle Fuller will likely draw the assignment of covering Calvin Ridley, who has lined up on the right boundary on 56 percent of his snaps, per PFF’s data. Fuller doesn’t shadow. But if trends remain as they are, then Fuller-Ridley is the matchup we’ll see often on Sunday. And to think, it’s a matchup we could have been treated to in training camp had the Bears successfully been able to complete a draft-night swap in 2018.
The Bears were rumored to be hot after Ridley throughout the pre-draft process. And on draft night, even tried to move back into the first round to take him. Instead, the Falcons squashed those plans.
