NEWSLETTER
Restaurant Week is often an avenue to try foods at places I normally wouldn’t go to, but pulling it off in a pandemic has thrown everything for a loop. Thankfully, the creative minds in charge of Lincoln Square Restaurant Week are doing a take-out version. I’m looking forward to participating. Here’s to keeping good places in your neighborhood open.
• A friendly reminder that there’s a really good QB prospect on Ohio State’s sideline who is worth watching:
On hand for Ohio State-Michigan State:
Falcons, Panthers, Steelers, Bills, Bears, Lions, Packers, Colts, Texans, Jets. Said to be one GM in the house.
They'll see an Ohio State roster minus 23 unavailable.— Chase Goodbread (@ChaseGoodbread) December 5, 2020
• And there will be others:
2021 #NFLDraft QB Watch List (ET):
• Justin Fields vs. Mich. St. – 12:00
• Kyle Trask vs. Tennessee – 3:30
• Zach Wilson vs. C. Carolina – 5:30
• Trevor Lawrence vs. VA Tech – 7:30
• Mac Jones vs. LSU – 8:00— Jordan Reid (@JReidNFL) December 5, 2020
• Before Patrick Mahomes was MVP and Super Bowl Champion Patrick Mahomes!, he had a lot of work to do. And while we already knew that based on our research during the pre-draft process. Remember the Jay Cutler comps? Fun times. Anyway, Chiefs receiver Tyreek Hill revealed Mahomes didn’t make much of a first impression upon arrival:
.@cheetah admits he thought @PatrickMahomes was 🗑 the first time he saw him play in @chiefs training camp 😂
Watch more on #InsideTheNFL tonight 9PM ET on @Showtime. pic.twitter.com/zANvpXFM5x
— Inside the NFL (@insidetheNFL) December 1, 2020
“I thought he was trash. I ain’t gonna cap. I ain’t even gonna cap, man. When he first got there I was like, ‘This is who y’all drafted right here? This is who y’all drafted?”
• So … what changed? “That second year, his quarterback mechanics were different. It was like he was spending more time with his QB Coach, spending more time with Coach (Andy) Reid. Like, learning the offense. Dude was different.” And dude has been different since.
• Mahomes is on record crediting his sitting out in 2017 and learning the finer nuances of NFL life as a reason for his hot start to the 2018 season. And for what it’s worth, Mahomes still has plenty of love for Nagy. But Hill’s acknowledgement of Mahomes spending increased time with his position coach piques my interest. Once Chiefs Offensive Coordinator Eric Bieniemy gets a head-coaching gig of his own, QBs Coach/Passing Game Coordinator Mike Kafka will be a hot commodity. The Northwestern product is positioned to be the next branch on the Reid tree to get a shot, and his work with Mahomes will look awfully nice at the top of his résumé. Just keep that in mind for future reference.
• For those of us at a certain age, there is one obvious correct answer here:
Bears fans, which pill are you taking? pic.twitter.com/F9EFrIF1xg
— Devin (@Fields2Mooney) December 5, 2020
• As for the rest of you … I’m not sure what the right answer would be. If you’re not of an age where you could have appreciated a Bears 2006 Super Bowl win, then I imagine Chicago drafting Mahomes with the second overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft is a layup choice. But I imagine there are some who believe that the 2018 Bears would’ve gone all the way in 2018 had Cody Parkey’s double doink split the uprights. There’s an alternate universe where that happens and this conversation doesn’t. And finally, I feel as if there is a minority opinion that the Bears would be on a better path if Vic Fangio never leaves for Denver. It’s just not enough of a minority to catch my attention.
• What an interesting comparison:
Baker Mayfield Mitch Trubisky
𝟿̲,̲𝟺̲𝟻̲𝟿̲ PASS YDS 8,347
61.2% COMP% 𝟼̲𝟹̲.̲𝟸̲%̲
1.57 TD/INT 𝟷̲.̲𝟼̲𝟼̲
48 TURNOVERS 𝟹̲𝟼̲
20-20 RECORD 𝟸̲𝟸̲-̲𝟷̲𝟾̲(first 40 NFL starts) pic.twitter.com/zfkqBzqNSW
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) December 4, 2020
• Ironic how both players perform better when they’re asked to do less within the confines of the offense.
• Kinda gives me pause regarding the idea of pursuing Baker Mayfield this offseason, which is a topic that was broached earlier this season.
• You can’t win if you don’t score. And it’s difficult to score when you’re not sustaining drives on offense. That the Bears run this few plays tells us everything we need to know about how broken this unit is:
Fewest offensive plays run while leading or tied in the NFL entering Week 13:
1. Jaguars (126)
2. Jets (133)
3. Cowboys (210)
4. Bears (225)
5. WFT (250)— JJ Stankevitz (@JJStankevitz) December 4, 2020
• Anthony Miller still has plans to carve up the Lions:
Bears WR Anthony Miller on the Lions drama: "I honestly don't care about their coaching change…"
— Mark Grote (@markgrotesports) December 4, 2020
• The Associated Press is tracking how COVID-19 has impacted all 32 NFL teams.
• This tactic sounds sorta familiar:
From @gmfb Weekend: #Eagles assistant Press Taylor called offensive plays for the the entire second half against the #Seahawks, though Doug Pederson doesn't think it's that big of a deal. pic.twitter.com/tp8wjLwIFp
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) December 5, 2020
• The Vaughn McClure Foundation website is up and running.
• An old fantasy football favorite is hanging ’em up:
Long-time NFL RB LeGarrette Blount has called it a career. One of the most unique players to do it. https://t.co/9mZbVAxLBn pic.twitter.com/J2KPqACPHx
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 5, 2020
• Welcome back, basketball! The Bulls schedule is out (well, at least half of it is):
— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) December 4, 2020
