NEWSLETTER
I binge-watched a healthy chunk of The Simpsons’ fourth season as a palate-cleanser last night. Season 4 features so many early peak era episodes such as Mr. Plow, Homer the Heretic, Marge vs. the Monorail, Last Exit to Springfield, and my favorite, I Love Lisa. Sure, The Simpsons are still rolling and churning out new episodes, but the new stuff doesn’t hold up to the classics.
• The Joe Maddon era didn’t end as well as any Cubs fan would’ve liked, but we’re one year removed from his dismissal and I’m still finding inspiration from his time in Chicago – specifically, how Maddon talked about handling defeat. In short, Maddon put a time limit on bemoaning losses and celebrating wins. By doing that, you get through your feelings, but also position yourself to move on to what lies ahead. This is a needed philosophy in baseball when you’re playing 162 games in 183 days. However, it’s also applicable to life as a football fan. Feel your feelings and move on, as there is another game ON THURSDAY.
• At the top of my list of issues with Thursday Night Football is the turnaround from Sunday. But in this instance, I can appreciate the ability to move quickly from Sunday to Thursday — if only because thinking about yesterday’s performance bothers me to my core. The Bears stacked three thrilling wins and appeared to have aspects of their game headed in the right direction. But rather than build on that in playing their first real test, they sputtered and lost a game that wasn’t as close as that 19-11 final indicates. At least the good news is that there isn’t much time to wallow in a loss.
• Perspective:
Think fans just get crazy week-to-week. Bears could look totally different Thursday.
— DaBearsBlog (@dabearsblog) October 5, 2020
• I hope they DO look totally different Thursday. Otherwise, what are we doing here?
• Some quality big-picture stuff from JJ Stankevitz of NBC Sports Chicago:
The #Bears made a big investment in defense (again) even as the NFL continues to reward great offenses much more than great defenses.
And so, you get a stinker of a game like today. My column on what feels like a flawed team on @NBCSChicago: https://t.co/K6OiL7QUSk
— JJ Stankevitz (@JJStankevitz) October 5, 2020
• A team with a great defense and a bad offense is like a mule with a spinning wheel — no one knows how he got it, and danged if he knows how to use it. Defenses win championships, but offenses put teams in position to win said championships. There’s nothing for a defense to protect if the offense can’t score touchdowns. What’s worse is that the Bears have invested in offensive playmakers, so it’s not like they’re not trying. It’s just that too many poor investments have been made en route to building this offense.
• Here’s your one offensive highlight:
https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1312897559724085248?s=20
• Matt Nagy was diplomatic in talking about Nick Foles’ interception…
https://twitter.com/Colts/status/1312891630245105665?s=20
• … but this looks like a good throw that just glances off Anthony Miller’s hands and into the waiting arms of Julian Blackmon. No matter how you slice it, the passing game has a ton of work to do.
• Watching the Bears offense operate without a running game was painful. And it won’t get any easier this week. Because after Bears running backs David Montgomery and Cordarrelle Patterson combined to carry it 13 times for 32 yards, their next task is taking on a Buccaneers defense that allows just 64.3 rushing yards per game.
• Long-time Bears/NFL writer Dan Pompei delivers some absolute daggers here:
The Bears offensive line versus the Colts defensive line had the feel of junior varsity versus varsity. https://t.co/FwDfd175iM
— Dan Pompei (@danpompei) October 5, 2020
• “If last week the Bears saw Eagles Nick Foles, this week they saw Jaguars Nick Foles,. It was worse than the stats indicate. When the Colts softened up before the game’s final drive, he had a 53.4 passer rating.” Egads! Here’s to not seeing St. Louis Rams Nick Foles this week.
• Coaching the Bears’ special teams is a tough gig. When things are going fine, no one has questions regarding your unit. But when the first punt of the game gets blocked, stupid penalties get committed, and things fall apart, Chris Tabor figures to have much to answer to whenever his media availability happens this week.
• Which bothers you more: That the Bears special teams looked like it really missed Sherrick McManis OR that you have more confidence in another team’s kicker making a field goal more than your own team’s guy?
• This tweet bothers me more than it should:
Big road win! #ClubDub @Colts pic.twitter.com/6LQddSjC19
— Trey Burton (@TreyBurton8) October 5, 2020
• A new look for SNF:
Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth reluctantly wear masks during Sunday Night Football in Santa Clara https://t.co/FNxmDcLF72 pic.twitter.com/wfwbGsGYKu
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 5, 2020
• More like the NFC LEAST, am I right?
Philadelphia enters Week 5 at 1-2-1 — good enough to hold the division lead over the 1-3 Cowboys and Washington, and the 0-4 Giants. The last time after Week 4 that a division leader had 1-or-fewer wins was the NFC North in 2005, when the Bears and Lions were 1-2.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 5, 2020
• I am HOWLING:
Lmaooooooo pic.twitter.com/f8Ageh9nuw
— Christopher Powers (@CPowers14) October 5, 2020
• The Vikings beat the Texans to remove themselves from the realm of the winless. I guess their time on Trevor Lawrence watch is over. Meanwhile, poor Deshaun Watson is stuck dealing with this mess brought upon by Head Coach/GM Bill O’Brien:
Monday's @HoustonChron #Texans Extra cover. @jonjshapley photo. Columns by @ChronBrianSmith, @JeromeSolomon pic.twitter.com/ZKKS0jASMU
— Tom Fox (@foxt78) October 5, 2020
