Everyone knows “Gangsta’s Paradise” for obvious reasons. And if they don’t, they should. But also, get to know one of the great one’s discographies. Coolio, who died yesterday at age 59, had some bops.
His cameo on “Hit ‘Em High (The Monstars Anthem)” was an absolute banger:
Eddie Jackson’s return to prominence is the comeback story of the year so far (through three games!) for me:
#Bears FS Eddie Jackson was one of the most efficient DBs in the league in Week 3:
• 8.45 points saved (2nd) • 0.255 points above average/play (6th) • 7.9 points above replacement (3rd) • 2 targets, no completions allowed— Jacob Infante (@jacobinfante24) September 28, 2022
This bit of renaissance from Jackson has been lovely to see. Especially from a player who says he is back in a 2018 state of mind. And Jackson’s coverage excellence rounding back into form has been a wonderful development. But did you know that Jackson’s 75.5 run-defense grade from Pro Football Focus is the 11th best among the 76 qualifying safeties? If you didn’t, then now you do.
On the other side of the ball, I hope the Bears are preparing to see some heat from the Giants:
Team Blitz percentages according to pro football reference
Don “Wink” Martindale is one of the NFL’s most highly decorated defensive coordinators. A coach who is known to throw a wrinkle or two (or two dozen) at opposing quarterbacks is probably foaming at the mouth to pressure the heck out of Justin Fields. With the Bears countering to attack with a first-year offensive coordinator (Luke Getsy) has me a little worried. But also, intrigued. I’m here for the cat-and-mouse game.
Isn’t this why the Bears hired Getsy in the first place? If Head Coach Matt Eberflus is right about scheming to win each game and tailoring game plans for each opponent, then Getsy should be piecing together something that should counter heavy blitzes and keep Fields out of harm’s way. And isn’t this why Fields wasn’t a first-round pick? First-round quarterbacks should be able to navigate through a game like this against an opponent like the Giants. Go get ’em, QB1.
At least Fields has the right perspective going into Week 4 riding the win despite his efforts, which he called “trash” after Sunday’s game. “It’s life. It’s football. You’re going to make mistakes, you’re not going to be perfect,” Fields said, via the Tribune’s Brad Biggs. “Just learning from your mistakes and making sure it doesn’t happen again.”
I’ve written it a million times, so what’s one more? It’s not about getting knocked down, it’s about getting up. We need to see Fields bounce back. How Fields handles adversity will tell us so much about his floor and ceiling as a quarterback in the NFL.
The good news is that the Bears’ 23 explosive plays ties them for fourth most (with the Packers, of all teams!). Here is a chart providing evidence of the Bears’ big-play prowess:
But with the good comes the bad. And the bad news is that their five explosive pass plays are tied for the second fewest with the Browns. It’s rare for it to be good news when your team is on a list hanging with the Browns. And this is one of those occasions where you’d rather your team not be hanging in Cleveland territory.
Let’s give credit where it’s due: Getsy has figured out the running game. Credit Getsy for putting together run concepts that have maximized the ground game’s efforts in ways that Matt Nagy would never dream of doing. But the aerial attack has a way to go before it is efficient or productive.
Hey, man. This *TOTALLY* counts as growth:
Hey! You know what? Gotta give Luke Getsy some credit here for learning a lesson and applying it the next week. No shotgun. #Bears scored 2 TDs on four plays in the red zone against the Texans.
Darnell Mooney, Fields’ top target, was seen catching passes from a JUGS machine after the Bears’ win against the Texans. We’ve heard stories of players take extra BP after games. And we’ve seen Kobe Bryant shooting free throws in gyms after games. But a football player working on a JUGS machine immediately after the game is unheard of in these parts. Mooney explains it all, via NBC Sports Chicago:
“Just not happy about my performance at all,” Mooney said. “I had the opportunities, you know. Had the chances to make some type of play, and I just didn’t be me.
“It was that, overall, and just not me being a big playmaker for the team,” Mooney continued. “Offensively, I didn’t think I helped out as much as I planned to and without Eddie and defense and Roquan on the last one, what did we really do? Beside running it. Running it was amazing. Just passing game-wise I was just frustrated, not being a playmaker I plan to be.”
Khalil Herbert is playing his way into creating a conversation around the future of the RB1 spot in Chicago:
David Montgomery vs. Khalil Herbert since Week 1, 2021:
Yards per carry: Montgomery (3.9), Herbert (5) Yards after contact/carry: Montgomery (2.7), Herbert (3.3) Missed tackles forced/carry: Montgomery (0.18), Herbert (0.19) PFF rush grade: Montgomery (66.4), Herbert (88.9)— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) September 28, 2022
But on the other hand, maybe that means he’ll be sticking around Chicago longer. Trade value is cool, but have you ever had a veteran defensive end who could impose his wisdom on young players worth passing along some tricks of the trade to once he leaves. Did the Bears miss out on an opportunity to trade Quinn at his peak? Yes. Were the reasonable explanations as to why he wasn’t dealt in the first place? Also, yes. Is there more to life than extracting peak value in trades? Yes, again.
Hey, what better chance for a rebound game than against the team you set the franchise’s single-season sack record against?
Former Bears QB Brian Hoyer reflects on his last trip to Lambeau Field as he prepares to return as the Patriots starter in place of an injured Mac Jones:
I had to ask Brian Hoyer about his one and only start at Lambeau Field back in 2016 with the Bears. He broke his arm in that game — “that’s a bad memory” — but seems like he’s ready for another shot at it.
Luis C. Medina, who you can find on Twitter at lcm1986, has been covering the Chicago Bears at Bleacher Nation since 2017. Since then, he has written about 3 head coaches, 5 play-callers, and 11 starting quarterbacks. Previously, Luis wrote about the Cubs and MLB at BN (2015-16) and worked in the Chicago Tribune sports department (2011-16). He also co-hosted a Cubs postgame show, Outside the Ivy, in 2019.
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