NEWSLETTER
Seeing news that Mike Glennon was starting at quarterback for the Jaguars tomorrow against the Bears reminded me of when my mother would point out a well-hidden gift behind the Christmas tree. Happy times.
• Alvin Kamara put the Saints on his back on Christmas Day, scoring six rushing touchdowns. It was the first six-TD game for a player since Gale Sayers’ legendary six-score performance against the 49ers in 1965. If you have Kamara on your fantasy team, then you probably enjoyed this:
https://twitter.com/Saints/status/1342868326574399488
• And if you’re a Bears fan who doesn’t have Kamara on your side, you can take solace in the Saints win knocking the Vikings out of the postseason. Hey, sometimes the little wins are the best.
• Meanwhile, in Minnesota:
Zimmer: "This is a bad defense. The worst one I've ever had."
— Matthew Coller (@MatthewColler) December 26, 2020
• As Minnesota songstress Lizzo once sang: “Truth hurts.”
• With Minnesota’s elimination officially official, Chicago’s playoff outlook is better today than it was yesterday. Coming into the week, FiveThirtyEight’s QB-adjusted Elo forecast had the Bears with a 31 percent chance of making the postseason. But with the Vikings out of the picture, that number jumped 10 percentage points to 41 percent. And the Bears didn’t even have to leave their couches. What a world! They still trail the Cardinals (64%), but the road to the postseason is clearer today without the Vikings in the way.
• Want more good news regarding Chicago’s postseason hopes? Niners tight end George Kittle has the green light to play today against the Cardinals. And I know Kittle is a tough son-of-biscuit and wants to gut out a win for his team. But I’m also reminded that Kittle grew up a Bears fan, so at least we’ve got that going for us today.
https://twitter.com/nflthrowback/status/1191446092682059777
#49ers Kittle on Brian Urlacher interviewing him on @NFLNetwork: "I just want to say, you've been one of my heroes since I was a little kid so talking to you for 1st time ever is pretty big for me"
Urlacher: "You can run. That's for damn sure. We're glad to have you on the team"— Cam Inman (@CamInman) December 19, 2018
• C.J. Beathard (and not Jimmy Garoppolo) gets the start at quarterback for San Francisco. I’m sure Bears fans hoped Jimmy G. Football would get on the field and help his hometown team. Instead, I suppose we’ll have root for the former Iowa teammates to rally the 49ers to victory.
• So, where does this leave the Bears heading into today’s NFL triple-header? Well, we’re obviously keeping tabs on Cardinals-Niners. That’s the game of the day for us. And it’s on Amazon Prime exclusively. So if you have that, great. But if you don’t, link up with someone who does. Or get it yourself. After all, your Christmas shopping is done. You should treat yourself to something nice. Anyways … a Cardinals win drops the Bears’ playoff odds to 25 percent by FiveThirtyEight’s projections. And that’s before Chicago even takes the field on Sunday. HOWEVER, a Niners win flips the script entirely. If the Cardinals lose, then the Bears’ postseason chances jump to 71 percent. Thus, dropping Arizona’s playoff odds to 38 percent.
• More numbers you’ll like: A Cardinals loss and Bears win this weekend would put the Bears’ playoff chances at a whopping 84 percent. Gimme, gimme, gimme!
• Ultimately, nothing matters unless the Bears can beat the Jaguars on Sunday. And even with Glennon starting as Jacksonville attempts to go full tank mode, I know better than to think this will come easy. Nothing comes easy for the Bears. Moreover, nothing comes easy for these Bears. And yet, I’m here for it. Bring on the meaningful football.
• Another reason as to why this game is important for the Bears:
In terms of scheduling for next year, #Vikings (6-9) can finish anywhere from 2nd to 4th in NFC North. If Lions (5-9) lose to Buccaneers on Saturday, Vikings will clinch at least 3rd due to holding tiebreaker over Detroit. If Bears (7-7) beat Jaguars on Sunday, they'll clinch 2nd
— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) December 26, 2020
• In other words, the Bears could line up games against the NFC East and NFC South second-place finishers if they win out. As of now, those games would be against the Cowboys and Buccaneers. Chicago is already scheduled to face the NFC West, as well as the AFC North. I don’t want to go too far down the rabbit hole, but that schedule has the potential to be quite daunting. But that’s a bridge to cross in 2021.
• While we’re thinking about 2021, Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine sees the opportunity for Chicago to improve its offensive line as a reason for optimism heading into the new year. The 2021 NFL Draft has a wave of quality prospects, while free agency has a handful of intriguing options. Sure, the Bears have some intriguing offensive pieces in David Montgomery, Darnell Mooney, and Cole Kmet. But as we’ve seen in recent games, the offensive line’s improved play is the catalyst for the offense’s revival. If that group isn’t a strength, nothing matters.
• The Bears continue to defy logic:
Of the 15 teams with the worst scoring averages in the NFL, only five remain alive for postseason consideration at this point. They are the Chicago Bears and the four teams in the NFC East.
— Tom Rock (@TomRock_Newsday) December 26, 2020
