NEWSLETTER
I don’t want to hear about Robbie Gould (two missed field goals, one missed extra point vs. the Cardinals) for the foreseeable future. That is all.
• On the other hand, George Kittle is a real one:
https://twitter.com/49ers/status/1343008968067538944
• “I will say this,” Kittle said. “I grew up a Bears fan. And the fact that we helped the Bears makes me happy. Da Bears!” This man dropped a “Da Bears!” after leading the 49ers to victory knowing darn well his return helped the favorite team of his childhood out in a major way. Major respect.
• Sure, Jeff Wilson (22 carries, 183 yards) ran wild, and CJ Beathard threw three touchdown passes. But Kittle (4 catches, 92 yards) did work in his first game back from injured reserve. As a Bears fan, I’m thankful for his efforts. Should Chicago take advantage of the path presented by Kittle, finish the job, and make the postseason, I imagine he’ll be racking up “thank you” cards from Bears fans around the country.
• Better yet, Bears fans have already started lining up donations to Kittle’s preferred charity:
https://twitter.com/gkittle46/status/1343008469264203778
🚨BEARS GIVEAWAY!🚨
We asked @gkittle46 & the @49ers to win the game & name the charity! They've done exactly that!👀
Rules:
Donate to @UIchildrens (minimum 5 bucks)
Screenshot donation below⬇️
Have a chance to win a signed @peanuttillman jersey!🥊💥https://t.co/Fkoz0XR5az pic.twitter.com/L5yPZcTeYW
— Greg Braggs Jr. (@GBraggsJr23) December 27, 2020
• If you’re anything like me, you’re geared up about football today after watching that 49ers upset win on Saturday afternoon. Let the hype begin:
• An updated look at the Bears’ playoff odds via FiveThirtyEight. The number-crunching site whose QB-adjusted Elo forecast is based on 50,000 simulations gives the Bears a 73 percent chance of making the postseason. I refreshed the page to see what a Bears win would do to this number. And it turns out beating the Jaguars would lift Chicago’s chances to 85 percent. All while dropping Arizona’s odds to 26 percent. It should go without saying, but today’s game is a big one for the Bears.
• Beyond the Bears, you should also root for the Rams and Packers to win today if you’re hoping for a best-case scenario in which Chicago lands the seventh seed. And yes, I realize the challenges in rooting for Green Bay to win anything. I don’t like it any more than you do. But this is the hand we’ve been dealt, so we might as well play it.
• Should the Packers win tonight and have nothing to play for next week, it’s not difficult to imagine Green Bay resting up after clinching the top seed and a first-round bye. But if the Titans pull off the upset and the Packers have to win in Week 17 in order to lock in that top seed, it complicates things. The easy route for the Bears here is to root for (1) a Bears win, because duh! and (2) a Packers victory that gives them nothing to play for in Week 17. Do with that information what you will.
• One reason we’re even talking about this as a reality is because of a revamped offensive line. So with that in mind, check out Jeff Joniak’s player profile featuring Sam Mustipher:
• Mustipher’s rise from undrafted free agent hanging out on the practice squad to starting center during a playoff push has been fun to follow. Considering the importance of the next two games for the Bears, I don’t want to fall too far down a rabbit hole. But Mustipher is playing himself into consideration for a starting spot on next year’s team if he can keep this up.
• Obviously, a key cog in all of this is Mitchell Trubisky’s growth. Trubisky has a 67,9 percent completion percentage, 8-3 TD-INT ratio, and 99.7 passer rating in four starts since his return to the lineup. That’s a better showing than his first three starts, in which he completed just 59.3 percent of his passes, had a 6-3 TD-INT ratio, and posted an 87.4 passer rating. So what’s behind the rise of Trubisky? Well, Head Coach Matt Nagy thinks his benching had something to do with it. This is what Nagy told SI.com’s Albert Breer after last week’s win:
“I really believe, for different reasons, it put him in a position to step back and realize where he’s at. And now, he’s using what happened to him as a positive. We tried like hell, and he tried like hell, to have this happen the last couple years. We were trying different ways to get it out of him. But I really believe that that has done it. He’s just in a good place, and that’s a credit to him for having resiliency.”
• Trubisky’s resiliency after being benched, his commitment to improving during his time as Nick Foles’ backup, and his execution since his return is a major reason why the Bears are in a position to control their playoff destiny in these final two games of the season. Yes, other things have had to happen in order to get to this point. But give credit where it’s due.
• One of the best things I read this week was Colleen Kane’s dive into Ryan Pace’s history regarding his most important moves as Bears GM. That look provides some additional perspective as to what we’re seeing unfold right now. What’s most wild to me is how his draft picks from outside the first round are making an impact. Think about David Montgomery, Darnell Mooney, Cole Kmet, Jaylon Johnson, Bilal Nichols, and others. Drafting gems outside of Round 1 is key to building well-rounded rosters. Makes me wish Pace wasn’t so keen on trading draft assets and was more willing to roll the dice with late-round prospects hand-picked by his scouts. Clearly, this group can find value.
