NEWSLETTER
I’m off to Myrtle Beach for a bachelor party with a group of friends I haven’t seen in person since January 2020. If anyone has food/drink suggestions, they can ping me on Twitter. My lone caveat is that I don’t eat seafood. It’s a long story that I don’t want to talk about. But if you know, you know.
• Nothing says “welcome back, football” like Tom Brady’s team and the Cowboys playing a game, but an officiating call is all the buzz:
Do you think this was OPI? pic.twitter.com/2cGDqIffzB
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 10, 2021
• That sure looked like offensive pass interference to me. But I’m so conditioned to think that Brady’s bunch will get the benefit of the doubt, so part of me is numb to whatever controversy is brewing.
• Did I do this right?
— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) September 10, 2021
• Do you think those mother-effers who stuck with their QB instead of completing their pursuit of Tom Brady were watching last night or nah?
• Tom Brady remains good at football:
Tom Brady has now engineered 49 game-winning drives in the 4th quarter or overtime in his career.
Since 1970, the only QBs with more are Peyton Manning (54) & Drew Brees (53). pic.twitter.com/GtlshBWZcy
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) September 10, 2021
• PFF’s Brad Spielberger points out there were 108 pass attempts and 13 carries total for the Dallas and Tampa Bay backfields. Or, let’s look at it differently. In a game featuring 108 pass attempts, there was just one sack and only nine total QB Hits. Tell me building an offensive line is important, but without saying the words building the offensive line is important.
• Now I’m imagining Matt Nagy ripping up what was going to be a balanced play-calling game for a script that mimics last night’s Cowboys-Bucs showdown. ICYMI: Nagy is resuming play-calling duties this year. It’s a move that has come with some groveling among Bears fans, leaving me left to understand both sides of the debate. Yes, the Bears were statistically better with Bill Lazor calling the shots. The facts are the facts. But we should consider the defensive competency of Chicago’s opponents during that heater. Moreover, we should also take into consideration how much Lazor had to trim in order to get that unit looking as good as it did.
• In that vein, the folks at 670 The Score highlighted Nagy providing insight as to why the decision to hand over play-calling duties was made…
“After three years of where we were, you get into last year and you get to a point where we were struggling.Again, it was a gut decision for me. And I thought it was what was best for the team at that time.”
… and the vibe heading into this year:
“You learn in those situations — was it the right thing to do or not to do? And there’s not necessarily a right or wrong answer other than I think that I know going into this year I feel really good with where I’m at as a play-caller.”
• To be fair, if it was *MY* job on the line, I’d want to take full responsibility for play-calling duties. Let me go down with the ship. Or at least give me a shot before I decide to switch lanes.
• Bears fans won’t have to deal with this until Week 2, but it is still worth sharing here:
29 of 30 NFL stadiums will be fully cashless this season, the lone exception being Soldier Field, which will have a few concession areas that still take cash. Just three years ago the Atlanta Falcons shocked by going cashless
— Daniel Kaplan (@KaplanSportsBiz) September 9, 2021
• I love how much Bears defenders love Sean Desai:
Jaylon Johnson says the success of the #Bears 2018 defense was about their culture. Says he’s 100% noticed a change since last year. “It starts at the top” with new DC Sean Desai. They’re also tired of hearing about ‘18.@cbschicago pic.twitter.com/vXBwEFwrzn
— Matt Zahn (@mattzahnsports) September 9, 2021
• No, I’m not saying that a new defensive coordinator will magically make everything better. But new eyes on old problems is never a bad thing to have. Also, the vibe check seems to be good for now. That isn’t inconsequential.
• Eddie Goldman sat out another practice on Thursday. This means today’s practice might be the most telling of all. Then again … it’s just a walk-through. So, maybe not. Nevertheless, Brad Biggs (Tribune) describes Goldman’s status for Sunday’s game as “murky” and I think that is a fitting adjective.
• It turns out both players went down with significant knee injuries. Rough times for the Ravens:
As expected, tests confirmed both players tore their ACLs. Marcus Peters and Gus Edwards out for the season. https://t.co/laX2pLU9BM
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 10, 2021
• I saw Jeff getting the business for this tweet, but I think it’s worth the discussion point:
(I would float Montgomery to the Ravens. See what they’ll give ya.)
— DaBearsBlog (@dabearsblog) September 10, 2021
• Maybe my feel for price is off, but say the Ravens sent a future 2nd and 5th for Montgomery, you’d consider it. Right?
• Let me be clear. I do not want to trade David Montgomery. Moving one of your best and most productive offensive players when the unit is an overall question-mark seems counter-productive. But I feel as if you have to at least discuss it. Baltimore has obvious needs at RB, but let’s not overlook Chicago’s potential desire to add draft capital. And with the depth this backfield has with Damien Williams, Khalil Herbert, and Tarik Cohen (eventually), maybe a Monty trade is the place to take a risk? To be clear, I’m not trying to trade David Montgomery. But if he isn’t part of your team’s long-term future, a trade should be something a forward-thinking organization discusses. Whether it happens or not is irrelevant. No stones left unturned, right?
• There are reunions across the board in Chicago this weekend. Former White Sox ace Chris Sale returns as a member of the Red Sox. Kyle Schwarber, a 2016 World Series champion, joins Sale as returning to city limits while playing for the Carmines. And this guy with a mural returns, too:
Kris Bryant Visited Kris Bryant in Chicago Today – https://t.co/kfj6hcNQCu pic.twitter.com/fWYmWdHCGc
— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) September 9, 2021
• Meet the new Bulls:
Training camp is on the horizon, so now’s a good time to catch up on the roster! https://t.co/nRjmMwcQVR
— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) September 9, 2021
• Kirby!
Kirby Dach Speaks: Offseason Additions and Regular Season Expectations, Health, Training Camp, Morehttps://t.co/4rLJQlyTW7
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) September 9, 2021
