Few people enjoy the thrill of performing on deadline like yours truly, but knowing today is the ultimate MLB deadline day with the CBA expiring at midnight has me stressing.
• I’m not sure anything better captures the failure of the Ryan Pace-Matt Nagy regime than this tweet:
Give it up for Cordarrelle Patterson
▪️4x All Pro
▪️Super Bowl Champion
▪️HOF All-2010s Team
▪️Tied for most Kick Return TD since mergerNow at age 30 he's setting career highs across the board as rusher & receiver
411 Rush Yds*
4 Rush TD*
500 Rec Yds*
5 Rec TD**career high pic.twitter.com/BO6stYhFJk
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) December 1, 2021
• There is plenty of blame to go around. Matt Nagy didn’t deploy Cordarrelle Patterson properly. Or enough. Sometimes I wonder if the groaning, growling, and hand-wringing that took place in some circles whenever Patterson was on the field played a role in Patterson’s sporadic use on offense. But I don’t think we’ll ever know the answer to that question. However, it was ultimately Ryan Pace’s call not to bring Patterson back. Even if his offensive snaps were limited, Patterson was still proving to be valuable as a kick returner and top special teams contributor. The Bears have taken a step back in both of those areas. They even found themselves trading future draft considerations for return help earlier this season. Want a snap shot of failure? Look no further than a GM and head coach who didn’t know what they had until it was gone.
• In the interest of fairness, it’s not as if the Bears miss Patterson all that much in the running game. Chicago’s ground attack ranks eighth in yards and has two backs averaging a least 4.1 yards per carry. It’s a solid collection of backs with David Montgomery, Khalil Herbert, and Damien Williams. But the lack of explosive plays goes a long way toward limiting this offense’s upside.
• Nevertheless, the offense’s lack of punch is among the reasons “Fire Nagy!” chants are breaking out everywhere. But as Colleen Kane (Tribune) points out, the players aren’t fond of hearing them on their home turf.
• Ah, yes. Pro Bowl voting season is upon us. And while it’s difficult to pump air for an underperforming team, who doesn’t want to send their favorite players on a trip to Vegas? Here’s how you can help:
🚨 #ProBowlVote is 𝗟𝗜𝗩𝗘 on Twitter 🚨
RT to vote for our defense!@RoquanSmith1 #RobertQuinn@trevisgipson @MROGLETREE_47 #AngeloBlackson@EddieGoldman @The_Dream99 @BNichols98 #TashaunGipsonSr@BoJack4 @ThePremier20 @NBAxJay1 pic.twitter.com/fwGdDVy9wq
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) December 1, 2021
☝️ RT = ☝️ #ProBowlVote for our offense!@MontgomerDavid @JuiceHerbert @marquisegoodwin @Darnell_M1 @AllenRobinson @justnfields @ColeKmet @lborom_ @jamsdans @smustipher53 #JasonPeters@WhItehair76 pic.twitter.com/RzmO0XjyAP
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) December 1, 2021
• It’s as simple as tagging a player’s Twitter handle and using the #ProBowlVote hashtag. Please use Twitter for good, and not for harassing players. Thanks in advance.
• Set aside that unsightly 4-7 record, and it’s worth pointing out the Bears do have some players whose Pro Bowl cause is worth rallying around. And as is seemingly the case every year, it’s the defense carrying the load. Roquan Smith is tackling everything in his area code, proving that his 2020 season wasn’t a fluke. And Robert Quinn is on a pace for 18 sacks, 22 quarterback hits, and 18 tackles-for-loss. Did you know there have been just two games in which Quinn hasn’t came through with a sack? The bounce back is REAL.
• Mel Tucker’s glow-up from coaching the worst defenses in Bears history in 2013-14 to being the Big Ten’s Coach of the Year in 2021 is a story arc I didn’t see coming:
Coach Tucker has been announced as the B1G Ten Coach of the Year #TuckComin pic.twitter.com/08pBlErvai
— Michigan State Football (@MSU_Football) November 30, 2021
• It’s a nice reminder that it’s not about that you fell, but it’s about how you get up.
• Are we really getting a scenario where a team without a coach slides into a College Football Playoff spot? It’s possible:
Check out the full #CFBPlayoff selection committee rankings for games played through November 27.
Where does your team rank as we head into conference championship weekend and Selection Day?
— College Football Playoff (@CFBPlayoff) December 1, 2021
• Old friend Mike Glennon is getting an opportunity to start because of Daniel Jones’ neck injury:
#Giants QB Daniel Jones is considered week-to-week because of his neck strain and backup Mike Glennon is now expected to start Sunday against Miami, sources tell me and @RapSheet.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 30, 2021
• Glennon and the Giants play the Bears on Jan. 2, just in case you were gearing up for a Justin Fields-Mike Glennon showdown. Wouldn’t it be something to have Glennon-Fields one year after having Glennon-Trubisky? Football can be weird like that from time to time.
• Speaking of old friends on the comeback trail, ESPN’s Field Yates tweets Kyle Long is joining the Chiefs’ 53-player roster. After a short-lived retirement, Long pounced on the opportunity to join a Kansas City offense in need of offensive line help. Another injury kept him from starting the year with the team, but that he has made it to a point where he is joining the active roster is a nice accomplishment. Now, to complete the journey by playing meaningful snaps for a team hunting for a Super Bowl title.
• Yo! This is really saying something, because the Bears offense has me more confused than the first time I learned Darth Vader was Luke Skywalker’s dad:
.@jaguars have so many good pieces starting with a solid ground game. Why isn’t the ability to run the ball paying off in the passing game??? No team in this #NFL confuses me more. #duval #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/qeHvRiN1jz
— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) December 1, 2021
• This is a milestone mark for the longest-running Bears podcast going:
The 500th episode of Hoge & Jahns
So many memories …
The Athletic: https://t.co/WYhaqGtk9b
YouTube: https://t.co/6MB7fLdA7v
— Adam Jahns (@adamjahns) December 1, 2021
• Ichiro still has it:
Ichiro Was Dropping Bombs (and Jaws) at Surprise Visit to a High Schoolhttps://t.co/bB6xiXNkgo
— Baseball is Fun (@flippingbats) December 1, 2021
• Chicago Bulls stars DeMar DeRozan and Lonzo Ball are among those surprising a high school’s girls basketball team and hopefully providing an awesome memory for these young women.
• Some Blackhawks on the come-up:
Four Blackhawks Prospects Named to Team USA Preliminary World Junior Championships Rosterhttps://t.co/3YucFL7xjH
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) November 30, 2021
• Our friends at Obvious Shirts are hiring:
We’re hiring. Part-time. Order fulfillment. 9am-1pm. Wrigleyville. Awesome perks. Fun team. Great vibes. Background in retail is preferred. Please send us an email and resume to [email protected] Tell your friends.
— OBVIOUS SHIRTS® (@obvious_shirts) November 30, 2021