There isn’t anything your favorite sundae (in my case, the Raspberry Fudge Sundae from Margie’s Candies) can’t fix. And I don’t think you can change my mind.
There are times when a player accidentally makes a big-picture point they didn’t mean to make, but does so in a way that allows me to share some expanded thoughts. And this tweet from CHGO’s Nicholas Moreano sharing a quote from new tight end Ryan Griffin does that for us:
Let’s set aside trying to separate the Bears from the NFL’s other teams. Before they get to that climb, the Bears need to separate the 2022 team from the 2021 squad. Or better yet, the first year of the Matt Eberflus regime needs to make a clear separation from the Matt Nagy era. And finishing strongly — whether it’s a practice rep, play, drive, quarter, half, game, or season — will tell us so much. Yeah, you didn’t think that quote was that deep either until you really thought about it.
Think about who the Bears were under Nagy the last three seasons. They were a squad starting hot and finishing cold. In 2021, a 3-2 start was followed by a stretch in which the Bears lost 8 of 9 in an 11-loss season. The year before that, the 2020 Bears were 5-1 before finishing the year on a 3-7 slide. And in 2019, the Bears went 3-1 to start before going 5-7 after that point. Our biggest beef with Nagy’s in-game coaching was the same as it was regarding his season-long coaching: There was no counterpunch after getting punched in the mouth.
Jeez. No wonder Alex Ballentine (Bleacher Report) believes the Bears’ best move of the 2022 offseason was replacing Nagy.
Simply put: The Bears need to be better at finishing under the new regime than it was under the old one. If they can do so, then we’ll be looking at a different trajectory. But don’t expect for it to happen all at once. Just know that it’s something we need to be looking for in terms of this team’s future growth.
If the first step away from the past is understanding, then the next step is acceptance of what’s to come. On the one hand, I’ll admit that I was wary of the Matt Eberflus hire because I wasn’t sure how these Bears (and future Bears) would react to a coach-y coach who uses acronyms to get players rolling. Going from one extreme to the other is the norm for NFL coach-hiring cycles. But oftentimes, it doesn’t work as well as fans hope. But on the other hand, it was evident that this team needed to go hard the other way and take the risks that come with it. And with that in mind, I’m loving the honesty from Jaylon Johnson when it comes to buying into Eberflus’ H.I.T.S. principle:
After seeing what Johnson said, let’s rewind to something I wrote back in February:
Call it kooky, weird, sophomoric, corny, cheesy, or whatever you’d like. Just know that when it comes to Eberflus’ H.I.T.S. principle, it works. Moreover, it resonates with the players. Do I think it is a bit goofy? Sure. But Eberflus and Williams don’t have to reach through to me and coach me up. That it works on the players is the most important thing. On top of that, Williams underscoring how that there wasn’t a buy-in from the players at the start is telling. Rather than blow smoke up our behind, Williams was honest in explaining that while there wasn’t an immediate buy-in from the players, they bought in eventually and the results were in the group’s production.
Nailed it!
Things you love to read (by Josh Schrock, NBC Sports Chicago): “On the first play of 11-on-11, (Roquan) Smith burst through the line and blew up a David Montgomery run for a loss of 3 with the help of Robert Quinn. The entire defensive sideline went nuts after Smith’s play, and someone yelled, “He’s back.” It sure sounds like the Bears defense is squared away and ready to go for the preseason finale. And for what it’s worth, the starters — on both sides of the ball — are expected to get a full half of work. Yes, that means Roquan Smith’s preseason debut is on the horizon after a hold-in that spanned all but two training camp practices. But it sure sounds like Smith hasn’t missed a beat while he’s been absent.
The Sun-Times (Mark Potash) and Tribune (Dan Wiederer) have more on how valuable Smith’s return is for this team.
I’ve gone back and forth over the years when it comes to how teams should handle players in preseason games. In the end, I’ve come to the conclusion that there is no one right answer. Veteran teams that have been together for years probably don’t need the in-game work during the exhibition season that young teams with a bunch of new parts do. Some veteran players need that preseason lather, but others don’t. There are some players who embrace getting calloused in August. And others who don’t take to it well. I think it all boils down to a team’s personnel and a coach’s understanding of his team. Coaches who have their teams pulse will know what to do — whether it goes one way or another.
Maybe that’s a long way of me saying I think these Bears need the work. Particularly on the offensive side of the ball where we’re looking at a first-year play caller, second-year quarterback, and new starters on at least six different positions being among the many unknowns. But on the other side of the ball, the Bears probably don’t need a ton of work. Robert Quinn’s tasks aren’t changing with a new regime. Roquan Smith could use the work just because he hasn’t been as active during training camp, but Eddie Jackson and Jaylon Johnson are probably in a good place. But I think it’s more for the coaches to make that judgment than anyone else.
It’s always something with the Raiders and/or Jon Gruden. The latest coming from allegations by NFL attorneys, who claim Gruden “consistently” sent “derogatory emails” while he was the Raiders’ head coach. If you’ll recall, Gruden was canned in Vegas after a batch of offensive emails leaked in October 2021. And that firing ultimately led to Gruden suing the NFL and Roger Goodell, alleging the league and its commish were doing “Soviet-style character assassination” on him. Again … it’s always something when Gruden, Goodell, and the NFL are involved. David Charns (8 News Now in Las Vegas) has more on the latest from that situation.
Thoughts and memories are flowing from around the league as NFL folks honor quarterback and broadcaster Len Dawson, who died at age 87:
I’ve always wanted to read a back story to this photo:
Clearly inspired by Bears star Roquan Smith sticking it out with the Bears despite his contract dispute and trade request, Nets star Kevin Durant will keep on keeping on in Brooklyn. (BN Bulls)
Franmil Reyes must’ve learned how to paint corners while hanging out with Shane Bieber and Triston McKenzie:
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