Talent vs. Scheme, Making MNF History, Burrow and Bengals Future, and Other Bears Bullets

Sometimes, I just need to see something positive to start my day.

https://twitter.com/RobDeMelloKHON/status/1331057365404196865

The world could use more Marshawn Lynch types. Not j is a real one.

•   This sounds like the kind of job Kyle Long would thrive in:

I'll say this every week until I get hired for the job. Networks need to have an offensive line expert in the booth like they have an officiating expert or even a kicking expert. It would add so much value.

— Geoff Schwartz (@geoffschwartz) November 22, 2020

•   Understanding blocking schemes and assignments isn’t sexy. But your favorite football plays don’t happen without those big uglies up front, so it would be nice if someone could break that down without getting too “inside football” behind the mic. In my experience as a reporter, I loved talking to offensive linemen because of the depth in the perspective they provided. Even the high school linemen proved how they saw the game differently. So … maybe give those guys a shot?

•   If not Kyle Long, then Olin Kreutz is the embodiment of what the Bears should be looking for in offensive linemen moving forward. With that being said, I hope everyone understands the point Kreutz is trying to make here:

This Mahomes , Kelce , Hill , Schwartz , Hardman “ SCHEME “ is unbelievable

— Olin kreutz (@olin_kreutz) November 23, 2020

•   The big takeaway here is that good things happen when you scout and draft well, especially after Round 1. Sure, there’s some good fortune involved. Patrick Mahomes is a unicorn. Tyreek Hill fell to the fifth-round in 2016 when the Chiefs rolled the dice on a player who ended up at Division II West Alabama after being dismissed by Oklahoma State after an arrest that led to a charge (and guilty plea) to domestic abuse by strangulation of his pregnant girlfriend. Travis Kelce was the fifth tight end taken in the 2013 draft class. Mecole Hardman was a second-rounder in 2019 who was the fifth receiver off the board. Right tackle Mitchell Schwartz was a second-round pick (37th overall) in 2012 by the Browns. He signed a modest five-year, $33 million contract with the Chiefs in 2016 and the rest is history.

•   When you get those players in different parts of the draft and stockpile consecutive strong drafts, this is what it looks like. So, yeah, Andy Reid’s scheme looks incredible because of the talent. But his crew knows how to find, cultivate, and develop it. Do that, and whatever scheme you desire to run will look good.

•   With injuries piling up around the league, Colin Kaepernick tweets a reminder that he’s still interested in playing football:

1,363 days of being denied employment.
Still putting in work with @E_Reid35
Still going hard 5 days a week. #StillReady#StopRunning pic.twitter.com/iMeJ03IRuB

— Colin Kaepernick (@Kaepernick7) November 23, 2020

•   The Bears were worried about the potential availability of Mitchell Trubisky and Nick Foles to the point where they brought in DeShone Kizer for a tryout. Just saying. It’s always good to keep your options open.

•   Ugh. Joe Burrow’s knee injury is so bad, the timetable for a full recovery is already putting his 2021 season in question:

These types of knee injuries, like the one Joe Burrow suffered, usually sideline players anywhere from 9-12 months, though each person heals and rehabs differently. But no matter how quickly Burrow does or doesn’t recover, next year’s status is now in question. https://t.co/XfUUMbMPOx

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 23, 2020

•   Yes, players have recovered within that 9-12 month window. And modern medicine continues to work wonders. But it would be wrong to expect that Burrow is on the quick side of the recovery process. It would be unfair to expect the extreme. Don’t get me wrong. I’m rooting for a speedy and full recovery, but there’s no reason to rush it.

•   I wonder what this injury and its timetable does for the Bengals’ 2021 draft plan. Cincy could catch Jacksonville and get the second pick in the draft if it bottoms out and the Jaguars sneak in a couple of late-season wins. Dangling the second pick in the draft could fetch an epic return for a quarterback-starved franchise that sees Justin Fields as a solution. Or are the Bengals better off drafting the best offensive lineman available? If your favorite team *ahem, Bears* wants to trade up in this draft for a QB, then you should be rooting for Cincinnati, Dallas (assuming they keep Dak Prescott), and the Chargers to finish in the top-5 ahead of Washington’s football team.

•   Looking ahead to the 2021 NFL Draft, let’s keep in mind the potential comp picks possibly coming the Bears’ way. OverTheCap.com’s early projections have Chicago positioned to receive compensatory picks for losing defensive lineman Nick Williams and quarterback Chase Daniel. Compensation picks over the 32-pick limit aren’t awarded, which means the team won’t get picks for losing safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix or linebacker Kevin Pierre-Louis. As things currently stand, the Bears have single picks in the first (16th overall), second (48th), 3rd (80th), and fifth (144th) rounds. They also have three sixth-rounders (176th overall, plus the two projected comp picks). It’s not the best draft haul, but it’s better than an alternative without those picks.

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•   Making history on MNF:

History will be made tonite! The NFL’s first All African-American officiating crew! pic.twitter.com/RxoilDSMFa

— Lisa Salters (@saltersl) November 24, 2020

•   This is a cool backstory and a unique behind-the-scenes look:

Our Monday Night Football cartoon graphics:

☑️Eagerly anticipated and amazingly detailed
☑️Suburb storytelling
☑️Artistic, educational and entertaining

How do these Emmy Award-winning creations come to life?

🎥Must Watch: A tour into the 'MNF Cartoon World'

📢Volume UP! pic.twitter.com/4IDB4c6dzf

— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) November 24, 2020

•   For the lulz:

Tom Brady has one more interception than Nick Foles this season

— Matt Eurich (@MattEurich) November 24, 2020

Hey Tom…how many losses do the Bucs have now? pic.twitter.com/ABbraLxs2K

— Stadium (@Stadium) November 24, 2020

Sharing this for no particular reason. None whatsoever. pic.twitter.com/7ASdcdAwKr

— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) November 24, 2020

 

•   Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth aren’t calling Sunday’s Bears-Packers game, but the game is still in good hands:

NBC’s Notre Dame broadcast trio of Mike Tirico-Tony Dungy-Kathryn Tappen is excellent, and they’ll be calling Sunday night’s Bears-Packers game on NBC. Michaels/Collinswort/Tafoya have Sunday night off but #Bears fans are in good hands for @SNFonNBC.

— JJ Stankevitz (@JJStankevitz) November 23, 2020

•   You know you’ve done well in the hiring process when your B-team broadcasters for your premier football game features Mike Tirico calling play-by-play.

•   I understand this decision, but it doesn’t mean I have to like it:

Tomorrow starts a brand new week. Which means starting tomorrow Taysom Hill is QB only on @ESPNFantasy https://t.co/8ijWmhN9uu

— Matthew Berry (@MatthewBerryTMR) November 23, 2020

•   You’d think I’d have more complaints after a 2-11 weekend at the window, but not after watching this segment:

This might be the funniest game I've ever seen featured on #BadBeats… pic.twitter.com/BSb7taApqe

— Funhouse (@BackAftaThis) November 24, 2020

•   How about now?

When Should We Expect Bulls Trades and Who’s *Really* on the Table?https://t.co/0uyUYm91yS

— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) November 23, 2020