NEWSLETTER
Today feels like a chocolate chip pancakes at brunch kind of day.
• We got some decent feedback to yesterday’s Twitter question regarding Frank Gore’s Hall of Fame candidacy. And it led me to create this poll:
OK. I guess we could take this to a poll.
Is Frank Gore a Hall of Famer?
— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) May 14, 2022
There’s still time to chime in if you read through the rest of this set of notes in good time.
• A smooth transition into something I’m looking forward to this year — a new-look Bears running game.
• Maybe I say this every year, but this Bears backfield has a little bit everything for everyone. Perhaps I say it because it is true. David Montgomery brings a traditional workhorse RB mentality to the room. Khalil Herbert could play that role in a pinch if given the opportunity. But so long as Monty is healthy, Herbert slides into that change-of-pace role that is low key valuable. Can Trestan Ebner operate in the Tarik Cohen multi-purpose back spot? Where does Darrynton Evans fit in the mix? Oh, hey, the Bears have a fullback now. It’ll be fun to see how that gets re-incorporated into Chicago football.
• Don’t get it twisted. I’m all for modernizing this Bears offense. There isn’t anything in my soul that wants to see Chicago’s football team play “3 yards and a cloud of dust” in 2022. But using the running game to strike a balance could make this offense far more interesting than it had been the last two seasons. To be clear, it wouldn’t make them GOOD — but entertaining would represent a significant upgrade.
• I can’t help but wonder if the game-plan will be to air out out with the help of play action. Justin Fields was slinging it in play action while at Ohio State, going 57/77 for 907 yards, 9 TD, and 1 INT. Punch those numbers into a passer rating calculator and it comes out to a 146.4 passer rating. The 11.69 TD% is nice, 1.29 INT% is nifty, and 11.78 yards per attempt is downright dreamy.
• During the winter, Da Bears Blog’s Johnathan Wood spent time exploring Fields’ play action potential. And the takeaways were eye-opening:
⇒ “Considering Fields was better at completing passes, gaining yards, making big time throws, and avoiding turnover-worthy plays in play action, you might expect that an offense featuring Fields would heavily feature play action. But this happened on only 24% of Fields’ dropbacks, which was the 28th highest rate out of the 39 QBs (median mark was 26%). There is no way to describe this as anything other than coaching malpractice.”
⇒ “Already as a rookie, Justin Fields was one of the best play action passers in the NFL. This is a clear strength that new offensive coordinator Luke Getsy has to build on. Chicago’s offense should be extremely play-action heavy.”
⇒ “Chicago’s new offense needs to utilize play action heavily, because Justin Fields was a borderline elite play action QB as a rookie.”
Yeah, you should give this a read if you already haven’t done so.
• I appreciate this perspective:
The Bears won six games last year without a cohesive offensive plan. No discipline. And a lame duck coach.
I don't see how we are worse this year. #DaBears
— Adam Rank (@adamrank) May 12, 2022
• No, we can’t really do an apples-to-apples comparison between the two squads. But I can vibe with the premise that a new coaching staff and different schemes can be helpful in efforts not to repeat last year’s catastrophic campaign.
• This tweet definitely got some engagement:
Velus Jones Jr.: 24-year-old wide receiver drafted in the third round
Cooper Kupp: 24-year-old wide receiver drafted in the third round
Discuss.
— Dave Kluge (@DaveKluge) May 13, 2022
• I hate one-for-one comps when we’re comparing a fresh out of college rookie and an established All-Pro. However, I’ll say this: Because the receivers room feels mostly up for grabs, there should be ample opportunity for Velus Jones Jr. to earn a chunk of targets and touches. The receiver position is one where – with good coaching and scheme – we can see strong contributors pop out of nowhere. It is a position that sees gadget players grow from bit roles into big ones. It could be fun to see how this all shakes out.
• Love that these Bears rookies have non-football talents:
Talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing… pic.twitter.com/YAAi8qHdFN
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) May 14, 2022
• Y’all should see the smile on my face when I see the Bears players mentioning they can throw down in the kitchen. It warms my heart. Because you know *I* love getting down with cooking, baking, grilling, and more. Where is the BN Bears x Bears collaboration that the people need?
• Cool to see Jim McMahon share this on his Twitter page:
— Jim McMahon (@JimMcMahon) May 15, 2022
• That guy was built different. It’s a shame that injuries took a toll on him and never allowed him to be the player he could be with any consistency.
• Dazz Newsome celebrates a birthday today, which reminds me that there was some real buzz around this selection:
• During this offseason, the Bears have brought in a handful of receivers and returns who appear to have pushed him Newsome down the depth chart. That makes Newsome somewhat of a forgotten man in this receiver/returner mix. I imagine that helps grow a chip on your shoulder. This is someone to keep tabs on at training camp (presuming the Bears don’t continue to turnover the bottom third of that roster at the rate that they’re currently doing so).
• I’m back to obsessing over prospect dingers:
Cubs Infield Prospect James Triantos Just Hit His First Homer of the Year! – https://t.co/CshpgwKWPr pic.twitter.com/zbuYGoUPUc
— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) May 15, 2022
