NEWSLETTER
Let’s power through these so we can obsessively watch the schedule rollout together.
• You can follow our schedule sharing post here. In the mean time, get a load of this:
Are you ready for Week 1?!
Week 1 tickets are now available! https://t.co/mjp9JMwBpM
📺: #NFLScheduleRelease — TONIGHT (8pm ET) on @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/t9OxqLKseW
— NFL (@NFL) May 12, 2021
• The NFL’s Week 1 schedule is OUT. And, as expected, it’s a doozy. Not only is a Week 1 with just one MNF game considered a win, Raiders hosting the Ravens as the sole Monday nighter feels big enough to carry the night by itself. Don’t get me wrong. I like the idea of two Monday Night Football Games. But the first one started too early, while the other started too late for my liking. There was never a happy medium, so I’m glad this was scrapped.
• Some of the Week 1 storylines are too good to pass up. Sam Darnold vs. the Jets? Digging it. An AFC Championship Game preview between the Chiefs and Browns? Love it. Seahawks and Colts in a game featuring quarterbacks connected to the Bears on the rumor mill all offseason? That’s fun. Jordan Love vs. Jameis Winston in America’s Game of the Week on FOX? Well, I guess…
• Larry Mayer (Chicago Bears official website) provides some need-to-know information about each of the Bears’ opponents for this upcoming season. Series head-to-head matchups, info on the most recent showdown, and some notable factoids and nuggets. It’s a nice primer as we starting seeing when and at what time the Bears will be playing this year.
• Am I the only one who still gets nightmares about the Bears getting Tebow’d in Denver? If so, then that explains why I’m breathing a sigh of relief about the Jaguars not being on Chicago’s schedule this season:
Tebow story direct from the boss @CoachUrbanMeyer pic.twitter.com/SavUmat5hw
— Cris Collinsworth (@CollinsworthPFF) May 11, 2021
• Shout out to the NFL for making a schedule release into an event. It’s not as if the league didn’t already send out which teams are playing each other this season. But there is something neat about being able to map out trips, hash out what it could look like when Team X plays Team Y on Date Z. I realize this is a day that many will look past when it comes on the schedule. But let’s appreciate breaking up the monotony of the post-Draft lull with something to grab our attention. Even if it is for the short term.
• It’s nice to see Allen Robinson get some national love here:
Even when Allen Robinson is "not open," he's open…
He leads the NFL with 47 contested catches since 2019!
ARob is a certified WR1 💪
(h/t @PFF) pic.twitter.com/OImaAr2hit
— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) May 12, 2021
• I found myself thinking a lot about Allen Robinson’s future yesterday after writing my salary cap update post. Most of that is rooted in the general feeling that concern surrounding the short-term cap situation should be minimal. That is because the hook here is really about how drafting Justin Fields opens up a new window for which to see through this Bears thing. Old money from a previous window is coming off the books. Or in other words, investments on the defensive side of the ball are set to clear paths for the Bears to spend elsewhere. Ideally, on the offensive side of the ball in an attempt to aid in Fields’ development.
• Don’t get me wrong. It’s not as if the Bears should ignore building on defense. But doing so through the draft while focusing on the most important pieces — pass-rushers and pass defenders — should be the goal moving forward. The days of teaming a rookie quarterback with an expensive defense appear to be trending toward being phased out. Again … it stinks that we’re even entertaining the idea of parting ways with popular defensive talents. For instance, I don’t want to push Akiem Hicks out the door. But no one plays forever and situations are always fluid. Maybe I just want to be prepared so it doesn’t hit so hard when it happens. Nevertheless, it feels as if change is coming.
• It’s all Anker charging gear as your Deal of the Day at Amazon. #ad
• This will be fun to see how it all unfolds:
Got 'em 𝙎𝙃𝙊𝙊𝙆 with our schedule release. 😆@MontgomerDavid@SarahSpain@spiceadams@heykayadams@NBAxJay1 pic.twitter.com/8h5ME7JQ35
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) May 12, 2021
• We’ll do our best not to dwell on strength of schedule right now. Especially since we don’t know where Aaron Rodgers will play in 2021:
Rookie 1st-round QBs & their respective strength of schedules:
Trevor Lawrence, #Jaguars: 25th
Zach Wilson, #Jets: 23rd
Trey Lance, #49ers: 32nd
Justin Fields, #Bears: 6th
Mac Jones, #Patriots: T11thAll 32 teams Strength of Schedule 🔽🔽https://t.co/puiF83an9V
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) May 11, 2021
• I hope there is a full episode dedicated to explaining winning the overtime coin toss, only to choose the wind against the Bears in 2002:
Longtime NFL coach Marty Mornhinweg debuted his podcast today with Michael Vick as his first guest:https://t.co/Er0ddnRPvz
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 11, 2021
